CasiOaks could only be had for 2.5x retail MSRP or more on the secondary market. This situation was the Casio equivalent to the Timex Q. The Casio G-Shock has historically been a watch that I haven’t been able to connect with. No matter the model, I could never find my zone. Every G-Shock was polarizing on opposite ends of the spectrum to me. They seemed to be something designed for an operator training course or designed to match a retro pair of Jordan 4s that I’m not interested in.
I have managed to surprise myself with the joy of such simple wrist-worn fun. I’ve also enjoyed wearing the only watch in the house with a retrograde display for the weekdays, a proper world timer, 200m depth rating and all the other functions we simply take for granted. In short, the Casioak is a technological marvel spiced up with cheap fun – for about $220AUD it offers value with a capital g shock watch V. I am seriously impressed. This is a watch for everything, and I genuinely understand why it’s got such a star rating among the watch community. OK, an entire week with only the popular G-Shock Casioak as a wrist buddy has been refreshing, but what about the dark blue suit / white shirt get-up I’ve got planned for a cocktail party? Check the Home City and the daylight saving time setting.
A new carbon core guard structure protects the module by enclosing it in a carbon case. The case is made of fine resin embedded with carbon fibers for outstanding strength and crack resistance. CASIO G-Shock GA2100 Analog-Digital Watch sports an octagonal bezel, which is nod to the 1983 original G-shock, giving it a classy, upmarket look and feel. On the dial face, there is a combination of analog and digital information.
Timer indicates the end of the time period you set. You can measure the amount of time between two events using this watch. The Alarm will remind you of repeated events with a beep, which you can set to any time. The product can still be used safely after proper cleaning. Remove the battery with gloves and clean the battery compartment with a toothbrush and vinegar.
To compound my angst, the Blackout “Stealth” model is aimed at the military “fashion” market and has no practical value. It is almost illegible and flies in the face of everything that a genuine Special Operations watch is designed to do. However, at the opposite end of the scale, there was a sub-£100 release which caught g shock watch all of us off guard and became one of the unexpected stand-out hits of last year. The Casio G-Shock GA-2100 Octagon Series and its derivatives – colloquially known as the CasiOaks. This watch represents a total re-imagining of the G-Shock brand taking it into fundamentally different, and controversial, design areas.
There’s a supplementary half dial – indicating the day – next to the 9 o’clock index, and a small digital screen positioned in the lower right quadrant. In Timekeeping mode, they can be toggled between date/seconds and time/seconds. The lack of weight and mass can be attributed to the use of Casio’s propriety Carbon Core Guard which surrounds the movement and claims to offer full protection. The watches have been designed to allow the carbon composite shell to be visible and this really adds to the ultra-modern look.