The world of G-Shock is, frankly, expansive. There are myriad references, materials, colors, and special and limited editions. Navigating this can be intimidating, so it helps to have an understanding of what the landscape looks like from way up. At a high level, among the two most well-known and best-selling G-Shock cases are the octagon and the rectangle, the 2100 and the 5000. These form the basis for a lot of the collections, and today’s highlight is one such example. The Polychromatic models are notable for their use of, well, colors but also their composition in the form of good old stainless steel. A closer look shows that these are watches that celebrate 40 years of continuous production by showcasing what G-Shock is all about.
The G-Shock 2100 Polychromatic
The 2100 series polychromatic watches were made for a time like this – octagonal bezel à la Royal Oak (among others), robust stainless steel case and bracelet, industrial styling, and (extremely) modern specifications and complications. The foundation of this watch simply cannot be argued with. It’s no slouch from a wearability standpoint either; 44mm sounds big but the sub-50mm lug to lug and overall case and bracelet shape mean that this watch will fit better than expected. It’s also a G-Shock, so an imposing size is sort of the point. The 40th anniversary models come in two flavors: pick the black watch with orange accents for a more understated and tactical look, but the silver steel model with purple accents is more futuristic and versatile. Either way you swing, you’ll be getting a host of complications that we’ve come to expect from G-Shock: world time, chronographs, alarms, automatic calendars, Bluetooth connectivity, and more.
The G-Shock 5000 Polychromatic
For the truly nostalgic (or slightly smaller wristed) among us, the 5000 series knows no rival. It’s the original G-Shock shape, it’s just as cool today, and it never fails to get love from Casio. The polychromatic references in this capsule follow the same trend as the other models: both are steel but one is black and the other silver. Both have blue borders on the display, but the black model’s colors are deeper and more subdued. Once again, the darker model is excellent for keeping a low-key look while the lighter one is giving high tech RO vibes. Even in this smaller form factor you won’t be losing any functionality; these watches are just as capable as their 2100-series brethren.
