High-strength resin material, which is reinforced with carbon fibers, makes it possible to create a 49mm case that is a mere 11.8 mm thin, which is the thinnest among G-SHOCK combination models. The black plastic strap secures with a buckle clasp and the watch is water-resistant to 200m. The new GM-2100 retains the streamlined form and slim profile of the GA-2100, but adds a new forged metal bezel to give the watch a sharper look. A round hairline finish is applied to the top surface of the bezel and a mirror polish to the sides, giving it a beautiful metallic gleam.
But with this said, no one buys the Casioak as a tool. The lack of weight and mass can be attributed to the use of Casio’s propriety Carbon Core Guard which surrounds the movement and claims to offer full protection. The watches have been designed to allow the carbon composite shell to be visible and this really adds to the ultra-modern look. The dials share a common g shock watch design and are uncomplicated with the lower right quarter given over to a digital timekeeping unit and the area around the nine-hour showing the day via a pointer. The analogue hands on both models are large and lume coated. There is no doubt that the similarity has garnered the GA-2100 a lot of attention online, which gave it more publicity than other recent models.
The G-SHOCK GA-2100 doesn’t all the digital bells and whistles associated with the brand. It’s form-follows-function minimalism combined with G-SHOCK durability, reliability and rugged good looks. I have small hands and a relatively narrow 6.5” wrist – not the best place to put a large, chunky watch. And then the G-SHOCK GA-2100 series caught my eye – and fit my wrist.
The 45mm GA is 11.8mm high and the smaller GMA is a mere 11.2mm high. In practical terms, this means that you really do not know you have them on. Select a color by clicking on a colored square located at the left to display all the watches matching that color. G-SHOCK watches stand out not just with their tough design, but also with their technical refinements. From environmentally friendly solar technology and Bluetooth® through to GPS and radio technology — G-SHOCK always features state-of-the-art technology.
Complaints must be sure to describe as accurate and detailed as possible, what is wrong with the product. Japan-cased watches carry the JF suffix, at a price premium of about 40 to 100 percent. Considering G-SHOCK’s automated assembly, I’m not sure it makes any difference where the factory is located, at least in terms of quality. That said, the GA-2100’s still a hundred dollar watch.
For a G-Shock, it feels slender at 45mm and with a short 48.5mm lug to lug and no weight, it’s a perfect daily wearer. The bonus is the clever world time mode allowing me to keep up with the editorial team in Melbourne while being locked down here in Norway. While I love mechanical watches, this is just an understated, feather-light presence that does its job quietly.
The use of the Carbon Core Guard structure allows the GA-2100 to be the slimmest G-Shock of all current models. The height and width of the watch is considered mid-size, rather than the large size of most analog G-Shock watches, and the watch wears very light and comfortably. The GA-2100 is currently the lightest analog-digital G-Shock model at 51 grams. Though the display is larger than a DW-5600, it wears very similarly, and I like to think of it as an analog-digital version of the DW-5600, but with a few more features. From an ease of conversion point of view, this is so simple it’s hard to fault it, and it’s great you can swap it back and forth so you can effectively change it to suit your mood for the day.
All three of the original GA-2100 versions have a negative liquid crystal screen with light colored letters. The other two are black , blending in well with the rest of the watch face. There’s a supplementary half dial – indicating the day – next to the 9 o’clock index, and a small digital screen g shock watch positioned in the lower right quadrant. In Timekeeping mode, they can be toggled between date/seconds and time/seconds. The Casio GA-2100 series has the same 8-sided bezel design, and it is no surprise that significant parallels have been drawn between the external appearance of the two watches.
All the functions can take a bit of time to get used to, but they are otherwise quite straightforward. A clever feature that this watch has is an anti-block function that makes the hands change their position when you press the light mod. This is so you can read the digital screen even if the time is such that the analog hands block it. The module is protected with a carbon fiber-reinforced resin case. Running through the functions and setting the watch is straightforward – with a bit of optional theater.
While it is definitely a distinctive bezel, it is a smaller and less obtrusive one than other G-Shock models. This gives the watch a more conservative look, while still retaining signature G-Shock elements with the case and band. The dial of the GA-2100 offers a refined style that isn’t too busy and looks both contemporary and timeless. Overall, it simply looks classier than other analog-digital G-Shock models in the same price range.