Casio’s decision to encase the popular square-faced G-Shock watch in metal was an inspired one, as it created a modern, stylish, and very wearable update to an established classic, but the resulting watches were all undeniably heavy. That’s changing with the introduction of titanium to the range. Seen here are the G-Shock GMW-B5000TB and the camouflage look B5000TCM, along with a titanium MT-G model that shares the same unusual pattern.
Titanium is strong and light, and something Casio has really only used on its luxury MR-G watches up until now, so how much difference has it made to the B5000? The material has been used to cast the case, the case back, the bezel, the band, and even the buttons, resulting in a 57-gram reduction in weight to only 110 grams. This is extremely noticeable when you hold the B5000 models, with the lightweight strap being the most surprising component. It doesn’t give the impression of being made of metal, and weighs so little it rests unnoticed on your wrist in a way the Full Metal versions do not.
The GMW-B5000TB takes the luxury air one step further by covering the titanium in diamond-like carbon (DLC) to further increase the toughness, and both square-face models have sapphire crystal over the face. The unusual camouflage style on the B5000CM is stunning, and although it doesn’t look especially subtle in the photos, in real life the pattern is only properly revealed in the right light. Unlike some of the other camo-look G-Shocks of the past — the BAPE GA-110 or the Gorillaz GA-2000, for example — it’s far less in-your-face, and more wearable in most situations.
Finally, G-Shock has used titanium on this new example of the MT-G-B1000 luxury watch, which will come in the camouflage pattern seen on the B5000TCM. Less is known about this watch, but we do know it will have sapphire crystal over the face too, and meet G-Shock’s Triple G Resist standards for shock, vibration, and centrifugal force resistance. Like all G-Shock’s, it will be water resistant to 200 meters.
On the tech side, all three watches have Bluetooth to connect to your phone and to the G-Shock Connected app. Here, you will be able to quickly change time zones, set alarms, and activate other features of the watch, without learning the button sequences needed to do so on the watch itself. Casio’s Tough Solar energy system is used to ensure there’s no need to charge a battery, and it takes power from sunlight and many types of indoor lights too.
The titanium B5000 models are expected in November, around the same time as the MT-G version, but prices and quantities are as yet unknown. There’s a chance at least one of these models will be a limited edition. Expect to pay in excess of $1,000 for any of these three, with the B5000TB costing 150,000 yen in Japan, which is approximately $1,380.
