G-Shock’s Original Watch Finally Gets the All-Metal Monochrome Makeover It Rightfully Deserves

G-Shock’s catalog is as deep and robust as its 42-year company history (that is to say, very.) Even its original offering, the DW-5000C-1A (the progenitor of the 5000 Series) has seen more variants than you can shake a stick at.

Yet, the Casio sub-brand continues to produce unique, interesting new editions. What’s even harder to believe, however, is that the latest, the G-Shock 5000 Series Full Metal GMW-B5000BT-1JF, is undoubtedly one of the best-looking versions yet.

In fact, it might be my all-time favorite.

G-Shock

Monochrome-dome

The trick to this watch’s excellence is in its subtlety. If you’re not a seasoned G-Shock pro (or you simply haven’t spent enough time gawking at and pining over the brand’s watches,) you might not even notice what’s different.

After all, this isn’t the first 5000 Series to sport an all-metal construction. Nor is it the first one to boast a monochromatic color scheme. It’s not even the first to feature a black-on-chrome look.

So what’s different about this one? Well, it’s missing all other colors — even the brand’s signature red dial outline. However, there’s an even more notable detail that sets this one apart.

G-Shock

Okay, fine, I’ll tell you: it has a negative display. Instead of black digits and icons on a gray background, this one sees that scheme flipped, so the background is black and the digits are gray, almost like night mode on your iPhone.

That combination, a black-on-silver monochrome color scheme with a negative display, makes this one of the best-looking 5000 Series watches (and G-Shocks, in general) I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot.)

G-Shock

Full-metal alchemy

Clearly, I’m a fan of this watch’s color scheme. I’m also a big fan of how it extends to the caseback, which is, like the display, done in negative. However, that’s far from all that makes this watch special.

As mentioned, this is a part of the Full Metal series, which means the entire case is made from solid stainless steel, as is the included link band. Of course, it still has the brand’s shock-resistant housing to protect its movement.

G-Shock

That movement, by the way, is quartz, which is likely no surprise. However, it’s also G-Shock’s Tough Solar version, so you don’t have to replace the batteries — just charge it up under a bright light, and it’ll be fully charged and ready to go in no time.

It’s also loaded to the gills with complications, like a 300+ city world timer, an integrated stopwatch and everything else you’d expect. Additionally, the timepiece features Bluetooth compatibility, allowing you to control it with your phone and automatically sync when required for a time correction.

G-Shock

Available for pre-order (with a slight hitch)

The G-Shock 5000 Series Full Metal GMW-B5000BT-1JF is currently available for pre-order. However, it’s currently only up on G-Shock’s Japanese site, where it’s priced at ￥88,000 (about $600).

However, the Casio sub-brand typically launches in Japan before inevitably coming to the States, so there’s a high likelihood this watch will make its way to U.S. shores soon.

G-Shock

G-Shock 5000 Series Full Metal GMW-B5000BT-1JF

Specs

Case Size	43.2mm
Movement	Tough Solar, quartz
Water Resistance	200m

• $600 at G-Shock

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