It has been nicknamed the CasiOak because of its resemblance to the Royal Oak by luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet. The Casio G-Shock GA2100 is much thinner and more compact than the usual high sitting, singing and dancing G-Shocks. This is almost a stylish gentleman’s watch and I think it’s going to become one of their most popular models.
The G-Shock GA-2100 currently comes in three different models but I would expect to see it come out in endless variations in the very near future. I’m thinking a future metal version of the 2100 will look amazing. Then it’ll really look like a Royal Oak! A camo version will also look great.
Getting back to my point before I started imagining things that don’t currently exist, the three models of the G-Shock GA-2100 currently available are the black on black GA-2100-1A1, the black with white accents GA-2100-1A, and the red on red GA-2100-4A. I ended up picking up the black with white hands model (GA-2100-1A) as I couldn’t find any of the black on black models in any of the Casio outlets here in Istanbul. I might pick up the all black model when I fly back to Australia, unless of course there’s a steel or olive drab model released by then.
I’ve heard some people complaining about the all black 2100-1A1 model being hard to read but I think I’ll still pick one up soon. I’m loving the black with white hands 2100-1A model for now though. It’s easy to read and the white accents really make it pop.
Honestly I think some of the biggest Casio G-Shocks can be a little obnoxious looking but the 2100 sits on the wrist beautifully. It’s still not a small watch by any measure but it’s proportional and looks great on any size wrist.
The GA2100 has the thinnest profile of any of the G-Shock watches, coming in at 11.8mm. So it hugs the wrist and is very comfortable to wear. Size-wise it comes in at 48.5mm x 45.4 which sounds much larger than it wears. I’m usually wearing watches around the 40mm range as that’s my sweet spot so you would think that the big jump in size would be awkward but it’s not, it feels just right on my 19cm (7.5 inch) wrist. If you’re used to wearing G-Shocks that usually come in at around 50mm in size you’ll find the new GA-2100 to be quite a bit smaller and more compact.
The GA2100 range is moving towards fashionable and stylish while still keeping its rugged tool and tactical watch DNA. It’s as tough and almost indestructible as any other Casio G-Shock watch but it has a much more refined and sophisticated look and feel to it compared the other models in the G-shock range. Obviously I’m not going to sit here and call it a dress watch but it is definitely more than just a tool watch.
Casio’s “carbon core guard” is their way of making something tough even tougher. They’re using a carbon fiber reinforced resin material to protect the internals of the GA-2100 range of watches. Testing has shown it to withstand extreme punishment. I’ve not tried it and don’t intend to do it, but I would expect to pick a GA-2100 G-Shock up after being run over by a car and wear it like nothing even happened to it. I don’t recommend running over your watch just to prove a point either. Let’s just assume that this is one tough mother of a watch! And remember, Casio warranty doesn’t cover running over your watch in a car 😜
The Casio G-Shock GA 2100 models are using the bolt action style quick release pin for the straps. They’re pretty easy to put on and take off. My fingernails don’t quite reach the bolt action part of the pin to release the strap but anything small that looks like a screwdriver will work.
It’s a resin strap and the lug width is 16mm. I haven’t tried any after market straps yet but I probably will in the near future. Let me know in the comments below if you have changed the band on your 2100 model G-Shock watch. I’ll look for a strap with a splash of orange or maybe an olive drab color for my 2100-1A model when I’m ready to change it up a little.
My guess is that we’ll be seeing a lot of new straps for the GA2100 range coming out from Casio and aftermarket watch band makers. There’s no specialty tools required to take the strap off and it’s so easy to do.
The two black models have a metal buckle and the all red model has a plastic buckle to keep with the red theme. I’m yet to handle the all red model 2100 but I’ve heard they both feel good. And like I said, there’s going to be a whole bunch of aftermarket straps available for this model G-Shock very soon, so if you want a metal keeper it’ll be easy to pick one up.
As far as technology goes there’s none of the new digital watch capabilities like GPS tracking, Bluetooth connecting, or the solar functions that some other watches in the Casio range have. There’s plenty of the usual G-Shock functions to play around with but this is a watch that tells the time, looks good, keeps things simple, and sells for a great price.
You can see the much thinner profile of the G-Shock 2100-1A that stands just 11.8mm high on the wrist. It makes it a much more wearable watch for more occasions in my opinion. I don’t mind wearing the bigger G-Shock models outdoors hiking or working out at the gym but doing anything even remotely formal makes the watch look wrong. With the new 2100 watch it looks at home almost anywhere.
In the detail of the dial on the GA-2100-1A you can see how the white indices and the hands really pop on the dark background. The all black and all red models will be slightly more difficult to read but still legible.
The day of the week function near the 9:00 position is very easy to see and use but the LCD screen down between the 3:00 and 6:00 indices is small and not so easy too read. Here you’ll have many of the regular G-Shock functions like date, seconds, alarm, stop watch, world time and more.
The world time function has 31 time zones with 48 cities with daylight savings on or off, home city, and allows you to change from one city to the next with ease. It also has a full auto-calendar to year 2099. I hope I’m still around to test this function in year 3000. And the battery life is estimated to be about three years, give or take depending on how much you play around with your watch.
There’s up to five daily alarms but I’ve never had to use anymore than one at a time. The 1/100 second stopwatch measures elapsed time, split times, and 1st/2nd place times. For the first 60 minutes times will be measured at 1/100 of a second and by seconds after 60 minutes.
Watch Technical Specs
Casio G-Shock GA-2100-1A model, black with white indices and hands.
- Case Carbon with resin bezel
- Band: Resin
- Size: 48.5mm x 45.4mm
- Case thickness: 11.8mm
- Lug width: 16mm
- Quartz movement
- Lens: Mineral glass
- 200 meters water resistant
- 12/24 hour formats
- Accuracy: + or – 15 seconds per month
- Weight: 1.8 oz. (51 grams)
- Movement Japan, Made in Thailand
The Verdict
The Casio G-Shock GA-2100 is an impressive watch for the price. For around $100 USD, give or take depending on what country or store you are buying it from, the GA-2100 model watches are great value for money. Yes the octagonal shape of the watch is reminiscent of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, hence the Casioak nickname, but I love the design of it. It’ll open up the G-Shock range to a whole new group of watch enthusiasts who would have never considered buying one previously.
So yes, definitely buy one. You might be surprised at how often you find yourself wearing it. Also, it’s the only Casio G-Shock that I have ever worn to receive a compliment from a female!
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