When the first G-SHOCK was conceived by Kikuo Ibe back in April 1983, it stood out for a variety of reasons. It was low-maintenance and boasted a rugged appearance. It could withstand depths of 200 metres underwater and could go a whopping seven years without needing a change of batteries. Yet there were two standout qualities that made it impossible to ignore. The first was its affordable price point. The second was that the watch was pretty much indestructible.
Today, G-SHOCK has expanded its breadth of offerings to include everything from pilot watches to exclusive collaborations with almost any entity imaginable. Want a Coca-Cola watch? You've got it. How about a matcha-inspired Maison Kitsuné collaboration piece? Or a limited-edition BAPE x Kid Cudi watch? It's all yours.
But with the recent release of the new Luxe Black 2100 Series, G-SHOCK is stripping away all outside noise and returning to something simpler, something more restrained. It takes the winning formula that made G-SHOCK such a household name and softens its edges to form a watch that moves the needle towards adjectives like "elevated" and "refined" instead.
When it comes to G-SHOCK, I always find myself subconsciously drawing connections back to the memories I have of when I was 10, rocking these bulky rubber watches that seemed like the coolest (but also most serious) gadget a kid could own. So when I got my hands on a watch from the new line, I could feel my inner child dance a quiet dance deep within the wells of my chest, because they felt like a watch I could actually wear today without feeling like I was living in the past. On my wrist, the watch felt refined, almost formal, but also sporty all at once.
G-SHOCK is no stranger to premium watches. Just look at its MR-G series, which trades its usual resin for premium metals and traditional Japanese craftsmanship. As the absolute flagship tier of Casio’s G-SHOCK brand, these watches can range from SGD 4,000 to over 10 grand.
If the MR-G series represents what the pinnacle of success looks like, and the classic DW-5600 is equivalent to your entry point, then the Luxe Black 2100 Series lies somewhere in between.
A quartet of new pieces has been released under the line: two of which, the GM-2100LXB, feature a metal bezel, while the other two, the GA-2100LXB, feature the matte black resin we're familiar with. Both sets each feature a silver-accented and a gold-accented version of the Luxe Black 2100, but they all use black as the canvas and primary visual language.
At a glance, the watch is much sleeker and more svelte than the version of a G-SHOCK that comes to mind when you hear the brand name. This isn't just achieved through its deceptively small 45.4mm case, but also through subtle finishes that oscillate between matte and polished, and the metallic vapour-deposited indexes that cut through the monotony.
Deep beneath the dense walls of the Luxe Black 2100 series lie the Module No. 5611 and SR726W power cells, which will grant the watch over three years of battery life. No Bluetooth connectivity here, but, like we said earlier, G-SHOCK is stripping the watch down to what matters. In this case, it's a suite of pragmatic functions like a seconds stopwatch, countdown timer, five daily alarms, a world time mode covering 48 cities, and a double LED light. The watches will, of course, also come shock-resistant, with a 200-metre water resistance. In true Casio fashion, it offers all this without the burden of a heavy price tag.
