G-Shock’s Rugged New Watches Are Even Tougher and More Efficient Than They Look

With tweaks to the shock-resistant case and serious functionality upgrades, these watches are as formidable as they are affordable.

Close-up of a black Casio G-Shock watch face with analog hands, digital display, and Bluetooth step tracker.

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By Sean Tirman

Published 3 hours ago

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Rugged durability and high functionality are now virtually a given for G-Shock. I don’t think anyone would suggest the brand’s timepieces can’t hold their own, even as competition grows stiffer.

Still, it’s never a bad thing to see some quality-of-life improvements. Such is the case with the brand’s newest big-face models, the G-Shock GA-B010 Series, which feature some significant improvements while remaining considerably affordable.

Three Casio G-Shock digital-analog watches with step tracker and Bluetooth, one in black, one in olive green, and one in dark gray. — The GA-B010 Series is currently available in a trio of tactical-inspired colorways.

Tougher than they look

G-Shock, as the brand’s name suggests, is known for its shock-resistance modules, housed in all of its watches. These rugged additions allow their inner mechanisms to survive all manner of impacts, jostles and so on by housing them in a “floating,” cushioned module.

These watches, like their siblings, house these aforementioned modules. However, they’re also even tougher beyond that courtesy of some other additions.

Green Casio G-Shock digital-analog watch with step tracker and Bluetooth on a green background. — At 49.3 millimeters wide, these watches boast G-Shock’s signature beefiness, making for great statement pieces.

Namely, their bio-resin cases — another standard feature across much of the brand’s catalog — are reinforced with carbon fiber. Between their affordability and capability, it wouldn’t be too much to refer to these as beater watches.

However, where other beater watches are simply cheap (and therefore can take a beating because they’re easily replaced), these ones are designed to survive the punishment you throw at them and come out on the other side no worse for wear.

Close-up of a Casio watch backplate with Carbon Core Guard, acceleration sensor, and water resistance details on a green strap. — Along with housing superior shock-resistant modules, the watches also have carbon fiber-reinforced cases.

Beefed-up baddies

Toughness alone would make these watches solid, but its their other functionality that helps put them head-and-shoulders above other watches in their price range. That starts with the movement.

These watches house G-Shock’s Tough Solar movement, a highly reliable quartz mechanism that’s powered by sunlight — meaning you never have to worry about charging it. Yet, it’s how the functions interact with its onboard battery that makes these watches better than their predecessors.

Person wearing a brown jacket over a gray hoodie and blue pants, with a black wristwatch on their left wrist. — The solar-powered quartz movement means you’ll never have to worry about replacing the battery.

You see, Casio has tweaked the algorithms and added an LSI chip, making the timepieces much more efficient. For instance, the pedometer — an essential fitness function — utilizes 40 percent less battery than before.

Yet, they still retain the huge array of integrated functions we’ve all come to expect. That includes stopwatches, calendars, alarms and so forth. There’s also Bluetooth integration, so you can more easily control the worldtimer function, access automatic time adjustment and so on.

Black Casio G-Shock digital-analog watch with rugged design resting against a metallic surface. — Along with a slew of onboard features, the watches also feature Bluetooth, allowing you to sync them with your phone for even more options.

Pricing and availability

On the brand’s Japanese site, the G-Shock GA-B010 Series watches are now available for ￥27,500, including tax (approximately $175).

Black Casio G-Shock digital-analog watch with step tracker, Bluetooth, and solar power features.

G-Shock GA-B010

Specs

Case Size	49.3mm
Movement	Tough Solar (quartz)
Water Resistance	200m

$179 at G-Shock

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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