One of the hottest G-Shock Collaborations in 2020 came in the form of a Manga Series, namely ‘One Piece.’ The watch sold out almost instantly and has never come back into stock since, anywhere on the planet!
That does mean that if you want one, you will be buying from a collector or re-seller. At the time of publishing you can expect to pay £250 – £300 GBP for a genuine unworn example.
The only downside to this is that the watch is massively counterfeited. A copy can be picked up for around $30USD, and this has lead to many people falling foul of unscrupulous resellers selling fakes at extortionate prices.
If buying one of these watches make sure to do your due diligence and check that the item you are buying is not a fake. Genuine sellers should be able to authentic their purchase with a Casio invoice and high resolution images of every part of the watch. The watch pictured below is absolutely genuine, bought on release date from Casio – so feel free to use these images as a point of reference.
(Scroll to the bottom past the unboxing gallery for full product specifications).
In 2018 the hugely popular Casio G-SHOCK got a facelift, in fact it was much more of a facelift, more like a massive upgrade.
Now that upgrade should take nothing away from the functionality, usability and relevance of the (still available) previous generation of the Rangeman. The huge difference between the two is that the 2018 Rangeman is now a full on GPS System for your wrist.
GW-9400-1BER
With the latest offerings from Casio now entering the Smart and Fitness worlds is the Rangeman still a good option?
I feel, yes. For two reasons. Firstly this isn’t a ‘Smart’ or ‘Fitness’ watch. It’s a watch with a navigation device built in. The Rangeman doesn’t measure heart rate, pace, run stats etc so isn’t in competition with a fitness monitor and it isn’t a smart watch. It doesn’t get your text messages or tell you you have an email. It could be one of two things then – a hiking / exploration watch or a survival / adventure tool.
If you are a G-Shock fan you will know all about the Master of G Series, of which this watch one. If not it is the G-Shock Premium range, made in Japan, considered to be well manufactured and as such commands a premium price tag. The RRP of this watch is £799 – although offers do frequently appear so if you are in the market keep your eyes peeled.
Sizing :
If you are considering a Rangeman the first thing you should know is that this thing is a beast. The watch is huge, and if your wrists are in any way below average size the watch will probably look comical, even on an average wrist the watch is noticeably large. It also feels quite heavy to me. It certainly isn’t uncomfortable, in fact Casio have done an outstanding job to make something so big, so comfortable. I strongly suggest you try one on to see if you could live with the size, if you can then you are in for a treat of a watch.
I have previously posted a review with detailed specs and technical data on a different colourway of the CasiOak GA-2100. You should have a read at it for more information as the only differences between it and this GA-2100-1A1-ER are the colours.
But oh, the colours! This ‘Blackout’ GA-2100-1A1ER came with such unexpected hype that it was sold out globally for months. At the time of writing it is still sold out on the UK Official G-Shock Site.
This is not a limited edition watch but demand has been so intense that eBay scalpers have been selling the watch at many times the RRP (£99.90). That is thankfully starting to calm down now. My advice is simply ‘wait out,’ this watch will be restocked. Or do what I did and purchase from a European retailer. Zalando were selling this at slightly below UK RRP – but at the time of writing are also out of stock.
I touch on it in the linked review but just as a reminder, this is the watch that ‘CasiOak’ seems to pay homage to. This AP Royal Oak however will set you back £30,000!
The latest G-Shock Unboxing I have for you takes the form of a well known favourite, the DW-6900. This collaboration DW-6900PF-1ER is a result between G-Shock and PLACES + FACES.
The bad news is that this watch is already sold out throughout Europe and G-Shock have not confirmed if there will be another run or even how many units were produced.
The result is as expected – the DW-6900PF-1ER is already an urban classic and another hard to find collectable G-Shock. (Which is already (July 2020) reselling at 50-100% above RRP)
Places + Faces G-Shock : DW-6900PF-1ER
From G-Shock.co.uk : https://g-shock.co.uk/dw-6900pf-1er : Introducing the latest addition to the DW-6900 series. The DW-6900PF-1ER is a DW-6900 collaboration with PLACES + FACES, as part of the iconic 6900s 25th Anniversary year. The PLACES+FACES x G-SHOCK DW-6900 pays tribute to this with contrasting luminescent P+F branding against matte black on the strap. The collaboration includes all the technologically advanced treatments of classic DW-6900 including shock resistance, 200M water resistance, backlight, flash alert, multi-function alarm, 1/100th seconds stopwatch, countdown timer and 12/14hr formats.
The P+F is easily identified throughout the branding on the watch – the glow in the dark strap is just awesome and really helps this watch stand out from just another DW-6900.
Ceisay (right) and Soulz (left), Founders of Places + Faces
“Founded in 2013 by college friends Imran Ciesay and Solomon Boyede (aka Ciesay and Soulz), the project began when Ciesay spent a summer in New York living with a family relative.
While initially interested in videography, Ciesay felt that medium too boring and time consuming, and instead chose to focus on photography. Constantly attending hip-hop shows, he parlayed an old blog he founded two years prior into an excuse to enter the press booth. Before long, the 20-something began masquerading as a photographer from London shooting for so-and-so outlet, finessing AAA (All Access Area) passes at notable shows across New York. With only a DSLR, he worked to score non-traditional images that set him apart from other show photographers. Named after the pattern which they caption every photo—Place: [Location] + Face: [Person]—the account began to attract a cult following.”
PLACES+FACES G-SHOCK DW-6900 Specifications :
Construction Shock-resistant
Water Resistance 200 meters
Functions : Stopwatch: 1/100 second (00’00”00 ~ 59’59”99) / 1 second (1:00’00 ~ 23:59’59); measuring capacity: 23:59’59; measuring modes: split time Countdown Timer: Measuring unit: 1 second; countdown range: 24 hours; countdown start time setting range: 1 second to 24 hours; 1second accuracy; auto-repeat Alarm Multi-function alarm; hourly time signal
Other Functions Full auto-calendar; 12/24-hour format; EL backlight with afterglow; flash alert: flashes with buzzer that sounds for alarms, hourly time signals, countdown timer Accuracy at Normal Temperature ±15 seconds per month Battery Life 2 years on CR2016
Size of Case 53.2 × 50.0×16.3mm Total Weight Approx. 73g
Read on for an Unboxing Gallery and more detailed product shots :
It has been a while since I added a G-Shock to my collection and I was waiting for the GBD-H1000 (which is destined to be G-Shock’s next entry into the Smart Watch market), however that model has been delayed and the GA-2100 Series is making major waves in the watch market with the ‘Blackout’ (GA-2100-1A1ER) model sold out globally, and when sporadic stock does appear it disappears every bit as quickly.
Given the nickname ‘CasiOak’ the watch is generally accepted as a homage to the AP Royal Oak. However the CasiOak is priced at a bargain £99.90GBP and the Royal Oak ranges around the eye watering £30,000GBP mark.
2018 marks the 35th anniversary of Casio G-Shock and one of the final releases of a year full to bursting of collaborations – is the G-Shock Gorillaz Collab.
Consisting of 4 watches, (one of each member of the virtual group) we are brought 3 DW5600 variants and one GX56 ‘KING’. This Collab was highly advertised on social media for many months prior to its release and the result was a set of watches in huge demand that was highly limited in numbers.
The official press releases consistently refer to only ‘1000 pieces’ but there is some confusion as to whether this is 1000 pieces of each watch, or 250 of each giving a total number of pieces to 1000. I remember the Casio website referenceing 250 of each variant, but the pages have since been removed in relation to the individual models.
I have reached out to Casio for clarification but as yet their Support people have not answered my rather simple question…
@casioUKsupport can you confirm please if the #Gorillaz#GShock release is 1000 of each watch or if 1000 is the total number of pieces for the entire series. Thanks.
With so much publicity and so few pieces the result was, basically chaos.
The Casio website was brought to its knees almost instantly. The lucky few got their orders placed and confirmed – the release was done in two parts 15/11/2018 for the Murdoc and 2-D variants and 15/12/2018 for the Noodle and Russel Hobbs and preorders were initially available on 15/11/2018 for phase 2.
Casio G-Shock X Gorillaz
Then Armageddon – the website collapsed and no more orders / preorders were accepted. Casio promised an online option for phase 2, this never materialised and the only option for the Noodle and Russel Hobbs variants in the UK were in store in London. Only London.
I was one of the lucky few managing to secure both releases online, and both have now been delivered.
Forgetting about the absolute carnage that was the release, everything else is positive. The quality is good, the printing on the bands seems long lasting and hard wearing. The rear plates of the watch are beautifully engraved with the silhouettes of the band members and the watch faces themselves are discreet enough without being understanded and not gaudy enough to be ‘in your face.’ A genuinely good design that when initially revealed seemed a bit ‘meh’ – like ‘is that it? Surely you could have done more?’ The designs work well and do need to be seen in the flesh to be truly appreciated.
Overall – a really nice collaboration, that was so well marketed it is easily one of the most sought after collections I have seen in a number of years. It did break the Casio website after all! IF you are lucky enough to have the set – well done you, if not act fast as I reckon it will only get more desirable!
Following on from the analog G-Shock GBA-800 Casio have released a digital variant, the GBD-800, of their fitness tracking, step counting, bluetooth tough watch.
Press Release :
The following press release is taken from GShock.com :
Casio G-Shock GBD-800 US Colour Way Options
DOVER, NEW JERSEY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 – Today, Casio G-SHOCK unveils the latest additions to the Men’s Power Trainer Series with the release of the GBD800. Available in two color ways of black with red accents (GBD800-1) and black with neon green accents (GBD800-8), the models are compatible with the G-SHOCK Connected app and include new technical features such as a re-designed full digital display and phone finder function through Bluetooth Mobile Link.
The models come on the heels of the analog-digital GBA800, which was released earlier this year in partnership with U.S. Olympian and G-SHOCK brand ambassador Louie Vito. Geared towards athletes and active individuals, the GBD800 features a step tracker function that breaks down daily steps taken in five metabolic equivalent levels (MET) – all of which are displayed in a graph via the G-SHOCK Connected app.
The watch also boasts a work-out timer with up to five intervals and an updated digital display of three different rows to easily track fitness progress. Toggling between modes, the top display showcases a step graph and lap number, while the mid display showcases time and the bottom display showcases the total number of laps and steps.
Other key features include a built-in stopwatch with 200-record memory, an auto super illuminator LED light, target alarm and auto time update capabilities. Each model also comes equipped with standard G-SHOCK technology such as:
200M water resistance and shock resistance
5 daily alarms
1/100th stopwatch and countdown timer
Dual Time
Round timer
The GBD800-1 and GBD800-8 will retail at $99 and will be available for purchase beginning in October 2018 at G-SHOCK retailers including Macy’s, the G-SHOCK Soho Store, and
Europeans are even more lucky – the basics of the press release remains the same but we get much broader colour ways with some pretty awesome options in there over the US’ black and green and black and red.
If you follow G-Shock and their limited editions you will be aware then that 2018 brings us another New Era Collaboration.
It’s not the first time G-Shock and New Era have teamed up and its not the first time that the watch’s storage container is a cap – which is just simply an awesome touch!
Casio G-Shock GBA-800 Unboxing and Initial Review (GBA-800-9AER)
At CES 2018, Casio introduced two new G-Shock watches to its ever growing collection of tough timepieces. Known as the GBA-800 and GPR-B1000, both devices connect to the G-Shock Connected app to help track different metrics and information.
The relevant watch to this review is from G-Shock’s new G-Squad series, the GBA-800 — a hybrid fitness watch that you can adds a little bit of fitness tech to G-Shock’s already iconic style. It comes in six different colour models – and of course the poster child for the series is the almost day-glo yellow (or is it green) model.
Using a built-in accelerometer the watch measures your daily steps along with your walking or running pace, the amount of steps you’ve taken will be displayed on the watch, both as a figure and a graphic.
So to wet your appetite here are a few of the promo shots released for the watch…
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