Casio G-Shock GBM-2100 review

The classic G-Shock design is a thing of beauty, with large and very distinct thick casing around the dial. The G-Shock GBM-2100 gets this, with absolutely no effort made to keep the watch slim or discreet. What particularly stands out about the GBM-2100 is the use of metal, and with finishing that absolutely screams its use of materials. The top of the case gets a brushed matte finish, while the chunk of it has a reflective, shiny finish. It’s immediately striking and visibly brilliant, but also susceptible to scuffs and nicks.

The watch face on the variant of the Casio G-Shock GBM-2100 sent for review is a light shade of blue, with texturing that gives away its solar receptors covering a majority of the outer-facing sides. There is also a digital display which shows the seconds and date by default, but can be cycled to use the world time, stopwatch, timer, and alarm functions. The main time is displayed with the main hands, while a third analogue hand shows the solar power storage level or displays the active function in use.

There are four buttons to control most functions, which can be used with short-press or long-press pushes. The light is particularly useful, making it easy to view the time and display even in the dark. The analogue hands do get luminous surfaces for easy viewing in the dark, but it’s obviously very useful to have a proper lamp light.

The watch strap is very comfortable, fairly durable, and entirely waterproof, complementing the 20 Bar water resistance rating of the GBM-2100 itself. However, it felt a bit out of place with the watch design, especially with the contrasting colour. Fortunately, watch straps are replaceable on the Casio G-Shock GBM-2100.

The key feature of the Casio G-Shock GBM-2100 is its Tough Solar system. This power system developed by Casio is among the best in the wristwatch segment, and offers class-leading efficiency that lets you pretty much forget about the typical power management concerns of a wristwatch. You’ll never need to change the battery, and the Tough Solar system can easily harvest enough power to keep the watch running continuously, as long as you keep wearing it.

 

 

 

 

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The system can charge the built-in power storage with not just sunlight, but even artificial or hazy lighting. It can draw and power even the more energy-hungry functions such as Bluetooth and frequent hand movements, as well as the digital display and backlight. Additionally, it can run basic timekeeping and memory functions for months even in the dark, by switching to a power saving mode which shuts off the display when sensing inactivity. 

App connectivity on the Casio G-Shock GBM-2100 is a straightforward system that works fairly well. The GBM-2100 can be set up and adjusted using its Bluetooth connectivity; when synchronised with a smartphone using the Casio Watches app, the watch automatically sets the time based on the network time on your phone, and can also be used to customise alarms, timers, reminders, and locate the smartphone using a Bluetooth ping. 

There’s nothing fancy or smartwatch-like here, but the Bluetooth connectivity definitely makes management of the G-Shock easier. Essentially, the entirely system is geared towards reducing the need for any manual intervention - the Casio G-Shock GBM-2100 is built to keep working without the need to replace the battery, and adjusting the time is as simple as tapping a button to synchronise with your smartphone. Just put it on and let it do its thing, while using its additional features freely.

Smartwatches obviously come with various benefits, but I’ve always been bothered by the need to charge another device frequently. In comparison, watches like the Casio G-Shock GBM-2100 are refreshingly the complete opposite; you don’t have to worry about even replacing the battery, let alone having to charge it. Additional conveniences like Bluetooth connectivity for watch and time management make things even easier.

The Casio G-Shock brand is iconic, and the GBM-2100 is everything that makes it so good. It sticks to its roots, keeps with the aesthetic, and delivers genuinely useful convenience and features such as Tough Solar at an entirely sensible price.