While the durable Casio G-Shock line has expanded over the years to include a galaxy of different designs, the squared-off form of the original 1983 model has been a cornerstone since its inception. In recent years, the Full Metal series has taken this shape in a more refined and upscale direction, reinventing the form in stainless steel with finishes like cherry red, yellow-gold tone, and laser-applied camouflage. Casio’s latest riff on the series adds a luxe and contemporary feel, interpreting the core model in rose-gold tone with a matching bracelet. The new Casio G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 brings together the brand’s high-end amenities with a bold, gold treatment that maintains the marque’s legendary reliability.
The 43.2mm stainless steel case of the Casio G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 adds a rose-gold ion-plated finish to the ubiquitous original G-Shock form, marking the first time a full metal G-Shock has used the color. This new tone is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the GMWB5000GD-4’s design, adding a softer edge to the mix of ridges, divots, and angular planes that define the original G-Shock. The overall look is substantially less ostentatious than the yellow-gold ion-plated variant introduced in 2018 but still packs a warm and contemporary visual punch. To keep the more premium feel going throughout the case, Casio treats the screw-down caseback with a polished black DLC finish. Like all G-Shock models, the GMWB5000GD-4 offers a solid 200 meters of water resistance.
While the case of the Casio G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 offers a reinterpretation of the G-Shock formula, the dial maintains a more familiar look. Beyond rose-gold-tone accents for the dial text and inner bezel, the look of the GMWB5000GD-4 is fundamentally the same as any modern square case G-Shock, with a brick pattern Tough Solar charging panel and a high contrast LCD digital display.
Like most G-Shock models, the manufacture Module 3459 quartz movement inside the Casio G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 offers a wide array of functionality. In addition to solar charging and radio-controlled time calibration six times per day, the Module 3459 packs in an LED backlight, Bluetooth mobile device connectivity, a world timer with automatic daylight savings time switching, five daily alarms, a 1/100 second split-seconds chronograph, a 24-hour countdown timer, and a perpetual calendar accurate through the year 2099. Casio rates the accuracy of the Module 3459 without automatic time calibration at within 15 seconds per month, and after a full solar charge, the movement is capable of running for up to 22 months.
Casio finishes the G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 with a matching stainless steel bracelet with a rose-gold ion-plated finish. This beefy, integrated design carries on the G-Shock’s characteristic lug divots through each link for a cohesive look that flows nicely into the main case. With this sizeable bracelet, however, the overall weight of the GMWB5000GD-4 sits at 167 grams, over double the 70-gram weight of the resin G-Shock GW-5000 series. If this new rose gold variant is like previous Full Metal G-Shock models, this should translate into a noticeably hefty wearing experience than the traditional resin G-Shock.
While not the most revolutionary release from the brand in recent memory, the Casio G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 adds a bold and handsome middle ground to the Full Metal G-Shock line that slots in smoothly between the sportiness of stainless steel and the brash spectacle of its yellow-gold ion-plated stablemate. The Casio G-Shock GMWB5000GD-4 will be available starting in April 2021 at selected retailers, the G-Shock Soho Store, and online at an MSRP of $600. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.