Enter the Casio G-SHOCK GA-2100 or “Casioak” as it has come to be known. This very wearable G-SHOCK was a huge hit last year, and it didn’t take long for the modding community to fill in a pretty apparent gap in the Casioak line up. The GA-2100 series of watches was such a hit at points last year that supply couldn’t keep up, and these were trading hands for well over the RRP of £99.
For long-time Casio lovers, I think a Casioak model is a no-brainer. I love mine and, having had the GM-2100 in my hand and on my wrist, will certainly consider adding a metal variation to the stable. Surely that’s what the people for whom Casio has made these watches desired, right?
I loved watching the hand automatically rotate. It offers a long list of features, is robust and robust, has a 200m water resistance certification. Plus, it fits a wide range of wrist sizes comfortably. It’s one of the brand’s few models that may be used in a range g shock watch of circumstances. This is the G-Shock to get if you don’t need radio sync or Bluetooth. Those needing a more readable LCD display will be better off with another G-Shock, but will have to settle with either an all-digital model or a larger analog-digital one.
But there is certainly more scope to wear this in a business environment. The Rolex GMT-Master II is often seen as ideal “business attire” and yet it is no more graceful than this model on the wrist (certainly not the modern versions, that’s for sure). So is this model a more “grown-up” version of the resin model?
The backlight is a dial illumination that allows you to use this watch in the dark. Over the past decade, the internet has ushered horology into pop culture. We now live in a world where Hollywood actors “talk watches” in YouTube videos, where hip hop artists rap about mechanical movements and where recherché Swiss dial names are social media g shock watch hashtags. What’s more, just as luxury fashion has nuzzled up to streetwear, so too are watchmakers chasing hypebeasts through savvy collabs, striking designs and, of course, limited edition production runs. You might have to adjust the hand zero position of your subdial. Press the a button for about 6 seconds and the screen should read “SUB”.
This means that it has incredible wrist presence but still feels ridiculously light and easy to wear. This pale pink is practically neutral, which means I can wear it year-round. Add yet another excuse to rationalize purchasing it even though I already have a million G-SHOCKs and Baby Gs. In case you’ve been living under a rock, a quick refresher. The 2100 series launched in 2019 as a more subtle G-Shock, intended to slot neatly into the wardrobes of a younger, style-conscious audience.
The 45mm GA A1ER “Stealth” model has been designed to present a full blackout dial picture and the slightly smaller 43mm GMA-S2100-1AER which is also predominantly black but with polished rose gold indices and hands. Light, comfortable, very high eye appeal for the money, main hands surprisingly readable, other features not so much and I like how it doesn’t scream G Shock in design, size and case wording. Those with narrower wrists don’t even think about the watch not fitting properly or seeming overly wide, which is a common issue with bigger G-Shock watches. Even though the display is bigger than the DW-5600, it wears similarly. It’s really an analog-digital version of the earlier DW-5600 with a few more functions.
The case is 11.8mm high and the lug to lug is 48mm making this one of the most wearable contemporary G-Shocks out there. It’s even slim enough to fit under my glove snowboarding. The Casio GA-2100 is a stunning g shock protection watch with an affordable price tag of about $100. Buying a GA-2100, whether as everyday wear or for weekends and leisure, is within most people’s budgets and does not demand a significant financial sacrifice.
And perhaps that’s the most important factor of all in explaining the GA-2100’s success. Many of us harbour warm feelings towards the G-Shock because it is a watch we grew up with – possibly, even, the first watch we ever owned. So, a G-Shock that one can wear unironically whether you’re into watches, streetwear or – as is increasingly the case – both?