G-Shock’s Beloved ‘CasiOak’ Gets a Trio of Refined Steel Treatments

These aren’t just new colorways. The dials are the product of the brand’s very cool, forward-thinking tech.

Close-up of a silver wristwatch with a blue dial, showing part of the bezel engraved with the words "ADJUST," "MODE," and "PROTECTION." The watch face features silver hour markers and hands, a small sub-dial with black and white indicators, and additional text including "RCVD REM HND." The watch has a textured metallic finish and a rugged, sporty design.

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Since its release in 2019, G-Shock’s “CasiOak” has been a pretty major hit for the brand, skirting the line between refinement and ruggedness. However, there’s always room for improvement and further iterations, even with this beloved quartz watch.

The latest in that lineup comes in a trio of offerings — G-Shock G-Steel 2100 Series GBM2100A-2B, GBM2100A-4B and GBM2100A-8B. While they’re all lookers, these are much more than just simple new colorways.

Silver Casio G-Shock watch with a metallic octagonal bezel and black resin strap. The dial features analog hands, a small sub-dial on the left, and a digital display on the right. Text on the bezel includes "G-SHOCK," "PROTECTION," "ADJUST," "MODE," "LIGHT," and "START." The dial also displays "TOUGH SOLAR" and "Bluetooth. — The metallic dials are the product of a technology called “vapor deposition.”

Vaped-up oaks

A part of the brand’s G-Steel lineup, all three of these watches are built on stainless steel cases, complete with their iconic octagonal shape. Those cases are mated to integrated bio-based resin bands that are equally sporty, refined and sustainable.

But the thing that helps these models stand apart — many boast the same dial and strap combo — is their dials. Each unique, they come in your choice of champagne, fuchsia or blue colorways.

Three Casio G-Shock watches with metallic bezels and textured dials in blue, pink, and beige. Each watch features analog hands, a digital display showing "36" and "6:30," and markings for "TOUGH SOLAR," "Bluetooth," "ALM," "SIG," "RCVD," "REM," and "HND." The bezel is engraved with "G-SHOCK," "LIGHT," "START," and "PROTECTION." The watches have black bands. — The series includes three unique dial colorways, pictured above.

Yet, it’s not so much the color as the methodology behind them that makes them special. As has been seen recently in the brand’s Fine Metallic Series, these dials are crafted using vapor deposition technology.

This process turns material into a vapor (or gaseous form) before it condenses on the surface of the dial. It’s from where the dials get their color and why they have a metallic sheen.

Close-up of a black Casio G-Shock watch face featuring analog hands and a digital display. The watch has silver hour markers, luminous hands, and text indicating "TOUGH SOLAR" and "Bluetooth." The digital screen shows the number 36 and the date 6.30. Additional markings include "RCVD REM HND," "ALM," and "SIG." The bezel has engraved labels for "ADJUST," "MODE," "LIGHT," and "START. — Along with the new dials, these watches have small multifunctional digital displays.

Sun dials

Interestingly, those dials are also functional beyond just their beauty. Despite the vapor deposition on the surface, these watches still boast solar cells; yes, that means these are solar powered watches.

Like all G-Shocks, these watches have a quartz movement. However, they don’t require batteries, just light to recharge and function. That means you need not worry about changing out the power source every few years.

G-SHOCK GBM-2100A watch with a blue dial, silver bezel, and black textured strap, displayed in front of a smartphone screen showing the watch's app interface in Japanese. The watch features analog and digital displays, with labels such as "TOUGH SOLAR," "Bluetooth," and "PROTECTION" on the bezel. — The watches come with built-in Bluetooth and sync to a mobile app.

That solar power also makes the watches’ other functions work, like the digital complications — like their worldtimer, stopwatch, countdown timer, full-auto calendar, battery indicator and more.

The watches are also Bluetooth-enabled. By linking to a smartphone app, you can control some of their functions, including auto time adjustment, changing your timezone, setting reminders and more.