Casio G-Shock GA-2100 1A Review & Complete Guide

Casio G-Shock GA-2100 1A Review & Complete Guide

When talking about digital watches, the first watch that comes to mind for a lot of people is the Casio G-Shock. 

The G-Shock has established a legendary status and become recognized all around the world. Due to its huge popularity, it has become one of the most sold watches in the world and has been released in many different designs and iterations since its conception many decades ago.

Today, the G-shock design has become iconic and is associated with durable and rugged timepieces. It is notoriously known for being able to hold up to all kinds of shocks, bangs, and mistreatment, yet still, continues to function properly.

With the many G-shock iterations that have been released over the years, there is certainly one for everyone. A G-shock model that has been released in recent times is the GA-2100, which has gotten the nickname ”CasiOak” due to its resemblance to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

Whilst these two watches are miles apart from each other in terms of purpose and ethos, the GA-2100 1A is definitely a refreshing take on an iconic model. Because the fact is that the G-Shock is just as, if not more iconic than the Royal Oak.

Casio ”CasiOak” GA-2100 1A Review

The GA-2100 1A is a fresh take on the Casio G-Shock and one that has exploded in popularity amongst watch enthusiasts since it was released. It’s easy to see how people find charm in this watch, regardless if you are a fan of the G-Shock design or not. The watch looks extremely rugged and sporty, but at the same time, Casio has successfully given it a sleek and elegant look. And with its performance and durability, this watch, just like the other G-Shock watches, is incredibly durable.

The CasiOak is available in several different color variations, but the GA-2100 1A is the almost all-black version which is one of the most popular of them all. As a result, it has become difficult to find, with only limited availability, and prices on the secondhand market increasing as a result.

In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at the Casio GA-2100 ”CasiOak” to understand what it is about and what makes it so popular.

Casio ”CasiOak” GA-2100 1A case

The watch carries all the features that have made the G-shock so popular but is presented in a fresh and modern design.

What perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise is that this watch is extremely light, weighing a mere 51 grams/1.8 ounces including the strap. This makes it one of the lightest G-Shocks on the market today.

The watch has a resin case which is black. In addition to this, Casio has also used carbon fiber for the construction. The bezel has an octagonal design, just like the Royal Oak, and the integrated bracelet further adds to its resemblance. Whilst the original G-shock also has an octangular bezel, it is also rectangular, which makes its design a bit of a stretch in terms of resemblance. But with that said, it also gives Casio the argument of simply reshaping and redesigning its already existing model. The case is matte which tones it down even further.

The case has a diameter of 45.4mm, a thickness of 11.8mm, and a lug-to-lug of 47mm. With that said, it is a big watch, which doesn’t really come as a surprise for a G-shock. Some may be shocked by its huge size which is bigger than most other G-shock watches, but the good news is that it doesn’t wear as big as its dimensions stated on paper may give the impression of. Much of this is thanks to the fact that its slim size allows it to wear comfortably on the wrist despite its big diameter.

The watch offers a water resistance of 200m/330 feet. This means it is suitable for both swimming and diving. After all, it is a G-shock, and we expect it to handle almost everything we subject it to.

The watch has a case back which is kept in place with four screws. Engraved on the back is the Carbon Core Guard logo. 

In traditional G-Shock fashion, the watch has text printed on the bezel in order to help you know which functions are for what. At 12 o’clock, we have the text ”G-Shock”, at 6 o’clock the text ”Protection”. The four other texts refer to the functions of the buttons which are placed just to the side of it, which is of course helpful when you are operating it. At 2 o’clock, it has the ”light”, at 4 o’clock ”start”, at 8 o’clock ”Mode”, and at 10 o’clock ”Adjust”. That way, you’ll know immediately which button does what.

Speaking of the buttons, a complaint that many people have about the G-shock is that they can be a bit difficult to press, but Casio has improved this with the CasiOak by making them longer. With that said, the buttons are quite easy to operate.

Casio ”CasiOak” GA-2100 1A dial

What separates this watch from the all-black version is the A-2100 1A has white hands and light gray indices, compared to the all-black GA-2100 1A1 where every single component is black. The benefit of this is that it is more legible and thus also practical for everyday wear. After all, black hands and indices against a black dial aren’t the best combinations if you’re looking for legibility.

For this particular model, Casio has removed some of the many functions found on the G-shock in order to make it more simplistic. But still, it retains its original rugged look and durable performance.

As we expect, the watch is digital, but still presents the analog time with an hour and minute hand. When you have a fully digital watch, you don’t have to think too much about legibility, but since this is also digital, it is quite important. But the good news is that the GA-2100 1A is actually quite legible thanks to the contrast the hands and indices provide against the black background.

The hands are big and sword-shaped. So are the applied hour markers. The hands have luminescence applied to them to help with legibility in the dark, and this is a good thing since it also means you save battery as you won’t have to turn on the light every time you just want to read the time. A downside is that the hour markers do not have lume on them, but still, the color of them matches the luminescence rather well.

Using the light button at 2 o’clock, you activate a backlight for the digital screen as well as an LED light for the analog time display. With that said, using the light, legibility won’t be an issue.

The watch is of Cours packed with functions. At 9 o’clock, it also has an analog day display that displays the day of the week. Lastly, we have a digital display presented between about 3 and 6 o’clock. This digital display is integrated discreetly and blends in well with the dial. In addition, the watch has a world timer that allows you to change time zones with just a few button presses. Using the button, you can scroll through the cities and their respective time zones.

All the functions can take a bit of time to get used to, but they are otherwise quite straightforward. Starting off, you set the digital time. A clever feature that this watch has is an anti-block function that makes the hands change their position when you press the light mod. This is so you can read the digital screen even if the time is such that the analog hands block it.

In the standard display, the digital screen shows running seconds, but it can also be set to display the stopwatch, timer, and alarms, as well as different time zones.

Movement

The Casio ”CasiOak” GA-2100 1A is equipped with the Casio 5611 module. As discussed above, this module displays analog and digital time, a stopwatch, world time, perpetual calendar, five daily alarms, and a countdown timer. The movement is powered by SR726W batteries. They are specified to have a life length of 3 years. The movement is made in Japan.

Strap

The watch comes presented on a black integrated resin strap which of course goes very well with the design of the watch. A nice feature is that it has a quick-release mechanism that allows you to remove the straps with ease. Note, however, that you need a tool to do this.

As we can expect, the strap is light and does exactly what it is supposed to do.

Specifications

• Diameter: 45.4mm
• lug-to-lug: 47mm
• Thickness: 11.8mm
• Water resistance: 200 meters/330 feet
• Movement: Casio 5611 module
• Battery life: 3 years
• Weight: 51 grams/1.8 ounces

Conclusion

All in all, it is easy to see why the Casio ”CasiOak” GA-2100 1A has become so immensely popular. It retains the true DNA of a G-Shock watch by making it sporty, durable, and robust, whilst also getting a new and refreshed design, which reminds of the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

With that said, it takes the watch from being purely functional to being a design watch that has a sleek and modern design, whilst retaining the features that the G-Shock is known for.

The watch is made to take a beating and can handle shocks and bangs without any issues. The performance is exceptional, the design is modern and clean, and despite its large size, it wears exceptionally comfortably on the wrist.

The Casio G-Shock GA-2100 1A is available to order on Amazon.

Main photo by Watchadvice.com.au.