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G-Shock’s Latest Watch Is Rugged, Unique, Attractive and Affordable

The ultra-tough line returns to the Galápagos Islands to further evolve and honor more of the iconic wildlife.

Close-up of a black Casio G-Shock watch face with yellow hour markers and silver hands.G-Shock
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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The albatross begins with its vengeance
A terrible curse, a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung

So goes my favorite passage from Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” which at nearly 14 minutes is easily one of the band’s longest and most epic songs.

Black Casio G-Shock watch with yellow hour markers, gray resin band, and digital display.G-Shock

The basic takeaway from both the 1984 track and the equally exhaustive 1834 Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem on which it’s based is: don’t f**k with the albatross.

Making that point in a more positive way is the coolest watch in G-Shock’s latest Charles Darwin Foundation collaboration, the GA-B2100DF-1A, inspired by the Galápagos Albatross.

Big bird

For those unfamiliar, the Galápagos Albatross is pretty badass. With a wingspan of more than six feet, it is one of the largest birds on the islands, known for how gracefully it glides on rising air currents.

Equally graceful is how G-Shock celebrates the bird on this watch, with largely understated touches that nonetheless make a statement.

Black Casio G-Shock watch with yellow accents and digital display, next to a gray strap with a bird silhouette, against a blue sky and mountain background.
The band loop and indicator hand both mirror the Galápagos Albatross in glorious mid-flight.
G-Shock

The most obvious is, of course, the indicator hand, which is shaped and painted like an albatross in full flight. It admittedly walks the tightrope between clever and gauche, but I believe the color and shape blend in enough to land on the side of the former.

Other Darwin-ified details include the map of the Galápagos spreading across the dial, the yellow-accented hands and hour markers (matching the albatross’s beak) and a small albatross silhouette on the loop of the bio-based resin band. 

Black and orange G-Shock watch in gray box with Charles Darwin Foundation logo and beige fabric pouch.
The watch’s fairly minimal packaging is quite intentionally free of plastic.
G-Shock

Less immediately noticeable elements include the caseback, engraved with the Charles Darwin Foundation logo and name in Spanish, and a statement on the band: “Apoyo la conservación de Galápagos,” which translates to “I support Galápagos conservation.”

Fittingly, the band is not the “sustainable” material: the case and bezel are derived from carbon/bio-based resin and the watch’s packaging itself is plastic-free.

Function forward

With its unique looks alone, this $200 G-Shock offers a lot of value, particularly for those who love the outdoors, but its guts pack even more goodies that active, adventurous types will appreciate.

The world time feature boasts 38 time zones, the stopwatch measures down to 1/100 second, the countdown range can be as long as 60 minutes and you can set up to five daily alarms, along with an hourly time signal.

Black Casio G-Shock watch face with yellow hour markers and digital display showing date and time.
The LED lighting is not only super cool looking but also quite handy before sunrise and after sunset.
G-Shock

The GA-B2100DF-1A also boasts double LEDs:  an LED light for the face and an LED backlight for the digital display, both featuring a super illuminator, selectable illumination duration and an afterglow. 

The Tough Solar solar-powered rechargeable battery can run for up to 7 months of normal operation without exposure to light, and 18 months with the power save function on. 

Red and orange Casio G-Shock watch with crab motif on orange strap, placed on black volcanic rock with three small crabs.
The other watch in G-Shock’s fourth Charles Darwin Foundation collaboration, the GAB2100DF-1A, celebrates the Sally Lightfoot Crab. Beyond the styling, its capabilities and price are the same.
G-Shock

It can also pair with the Casio Watches app for auto time adjustment, ~300 world time cities, a phone finder feature and more.

This is a G-Shock, so naturally a Carbon Core Guard structure boosts its shock resistance and there’s 200 meters of water resistance. In other words, it’s tough enough not to win a Darwin Award anytime soon. Here’s hoping you don’t either. 

Availability and pricing

The G-Shock GAB2100DF-1A is available now for $200.

Black and gray Casio G-Shock watch with yellow hour markers and digital display on a gray strap.G-Shock

G-Shock GAB2100DF-1A

Specs

Case Size 48.5mm
Movement Tough Solar
Water Resistance 200m
About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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