G-Shock’s Dazzling New Take on Its Original Flagship Watch Has Instant Classic Written All Over It

If you’re a G-Shock loyalist, chances are the iconic 5600 never gets old. And that’s good because the brand always seems to have a few new iterations up its sleeve, no matter how many variants it’s already launched.

Even then, some of these reinterpretations are special, standing out even among their revered peers. I think that might be the case with the brand’s latest drops, the G-Shock GM-5600M-1JF and GM-5600BM-1JF, which reimagine this timeless timepiece through an industrial lens.

G-Shock

Heavy metal

Obviously, the overall design of this 5600 remains true to the original. It maintains its same size and the signature octagonal case that helped cement it as an icon. But there’s at least one immediately noticeable deviation with this one: the bezel.

While the shape remains, this particular watch gets a stainless steel bezel. But that’s not the unusual part. It’s the texture of the bezel that makes it stand out.

G-Shock

Inspired by industrial design, this bezel is machined with an intricate, repeating, pyramidal pattern that not only grants it a ton of character but also adds physical texture to the watch, making it more eye-catching and tactile than other takes on the 5600.

While I wouldn’t call it a subtle design choice, there is another element to this industrial-inspired design: it extends to the bio-resin strap. It’s less obvious than the bezel, but the fact that the band texture mirrors the bezel adds another dimension to this, helping push it beyond just a simple redux.

G-Shock

Shocking details

Although it’s the most obvious elephant in the room, it’s not the only one to be had on this watch. Some other design intricacies help push this watch even further up the “future classic” ladder.

The negative display is another big one. By giving this watch a negative display (which isn’t wholly uncommon in G-Shocks, but is non-standard,) it matches the digital window to the rest of the face and helps further accentuate the bezel.

G-Shock

Furthermore, the only splash of color on this watch, beyond its neutral black and silver motif, is the red “Start/Stop” oval to the right of the digital window, which is also somewhat unusual and helps make this particular model even more distinctive.

Of course, the watch is also still a G-Shock 5600 Series, so it maintains its steel and resin construction, quartz movement, huge suite of integrated functions and more.

G-Shock

Pricing and availability

Both versions of this new G-Shock, the GM-5600M-1JF and the GM-5600BM-1JF, are up for preorder on the brand’s Japanese site for ￥29,700 and ￥33,000, respectively (about $192 and $213.)

G-Shock

G-Shock 5600 Series GM-5600M-1JF

Specs

Case Size	43.2mm
Movement	Quartz
Water Resistance	200m

• Starts at $192

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics