Review: The G-SHOCK GW5000U Might Be The Best G-SHOCK Ever Made

It’s hard to imagine that Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe could’ve predicted that his pursuit of a shock-resistant “Triple Ten” watch –– a watch that could withstand a fall from 10 meters, resist water pressure to 10 bar (100 meters), and have a 10-year battery life –– would result in one of the most game-changing and impactful watch brands on the planet: G-SHOCK.

The G-SHOCK story begins in 1982, when Ibe, during his daily commute, inadvertently collided with a fellow pedestrian, an impact that sent his cherished mechanical watch plummeting to the ground, shattering in the process. Alongside “Team Tough,” a consortium of eight Casio engineers, Ibe and his team went through more than 200 prototypes to develop a virtually unbreakable watch, before inspiration struck by way of a bouncing rubber ball at a local playground in Japan.

In 1983, the very first G-SHOCK, the DW-5000C, was born and the rest is history. After 40-plus years of ruggedized releases and over 100 million G-SHOCKs sold, the Casio sub-brand has cemented itself in the horology lexicon.

In 2021, the iconic DW-5000 was brought back to life in the form of the Casio G-Shock GW-5000U, a Japan-exclusive tribute chock full of modern-day technology. It would take a few years before stateside residents could get ahold of the GW-5000U-1 (circa 2023), and since then, the reference has gone on to become one of the most coveted models in the brand’s lineup, even heralded by many as the best “square” ever.

Let’s take a closer look at this modern-day iteration, the G-SHOCK GW-5000U-1.

At a Glance

At first glance, the GW-5000U-1 looks as though it was plucked right out of 1983, and that’s certainly by design. As a faithful tribute to the original, the timepiece is everything we love about the now iconic square design, but now sporting a noticeably more monochromatic design language, with the entire watch draped in shades of black and gray complemented nicely with just a hint of red right below the dial.

But knowing that you can purchase the more readily available (and affordable) G-SHOCK DW-5600 for under $50 (a reference that also shares the same DNA as the original 1983 model), along with several other 5600 models in the $150 range, the $300 price tag of the GW-5000U might seem like a tough sell –– that is, before you start peeling back the layers.

Although they share similar design language, the improvements of the GW-5000U quickly jump out at you once you spend time wearing the watch. The steel core and screw-down caseback are perhaps the most palpable improvement on this model; an improvement that makes the watch feel more substantial and elevated on the wrist, and less like a toy –– a comparison we have experienced ourselves when wearing entry-level G-SHOCKs for prolonged periods of time. 

The softer, more premium strap hugs your wrist comfortably and once again, feels much elevated than the stiff, plastic-like feel of the more entry-level 5600 models. 

We would wager that the “Made In Japan” construction plays a large part in this, as Japan’s reputation for meticulous craftsmanship and strict quality control, has largely defined the region in recent years (Grand Seiko being one of the preeminent examples in the world of watchmaking).

As for the case, like the saying goes, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Ibe originally selected resin as a material suitable for handling a myriad of extreme resistance tests. It performed well in just about every category tested and has since remained hyper-recognizable as a G-SHOCK material on the wrist as much as the geometric shape of the watches themselves. 

As we previously mentioned, the GW-5000U is equipped with an all-stainless steel case wrapped in the ultra-durable, shock-resistant matte-black resin, complete with a DLC-treated steel screw-down caseback proudly displaying the timepiece’s Japanese origins, 20 Bar (or 200 meters) water-resistance, and the updated 3495 module powering the watch.

Generally speaking, G-SHOCKS are rugged statement timepieces on the wrist, no matter how you slice it. And, it’s something that the brand has always embraced. The “square,” however, is a model we think looks good on just about every wrist size, even though it might seem a bit large on paper. Measuring 42.8mm wide, with a 48.9mm lug-to-lug, and a 13.5mm thickness, the GW-5000U felt right at home on our wearer’s 6.75” wrist shown here.

A carbon-pattern solar panel sits around the mineral crystal LCD display, while 4 inset pushers are found on each corner to control the digital dial’s features, a design that allows the buttons to stay protected during impacts.

And, if for any reason you need to swap the band, there are sturdy metal lugs rounding out the case construction.

As with most G-SHOCKs (and most digital watches in general), the dial design remains a pretty familiar affair, and the GW-5000U doesn’t deviate from this recipe. A rectangular-shaped LCD display resides underneath a mineral crystal dial, which is probably our first real complaint about the watch.

Seeing that this is billed as a more premium “square,” and a G-SHOCK at that, we think upgrading to a more scratch-resistant sapphire crystal would’ve been a much-appreciated and welcomed upgrade. 

It’s also worth noting that although the digital display’s legibility is crystal clear when viewing the watch from a top-down perspective, the digits become distorted (we’ve been calling them “phantom digits”) at different viewing angles, say, when you’re driving or typing on a computer. 

The main screen displays your local time (complete with seconds indicator) front and center, while the day is located in the top left flanked by the date in the right-hand corner of the screen. Cycling through the mode button on the bottom left takes you through the watch’s myriad of features including the World Time, Alarm (complete with five daily alarms and one snooze alarm), 24-hour Stop Watch, and 24-hour Countdown Timer.

The aforementioned World Time feature was one that we really enjoyed, allowing us to track 5 different time zones simultaneously at the press of a button, spanning 48 cities across 31 time zones, with or without daylight savings. While in New York, we were able to put the EST timezone on the main display while our home city of Los Angeles’ PST timezone was also displayed more discreetly in the right-hand corner. 

This “dual-screen” functionality can also be used with the Stop Watch and Countdown Timer, allowing you the ability to operate either function while still viewing the local time in the top right corner of the display. 

Pressing the light button at the top right triggers the backlight LED light emitting from the left-hand side of the watch, which can be toggled between 1.5 seconds (as indicated by the “1” on the dial) and 3 seconds (indicated by “3” on the dial).  There’s also an Auto Light function, which automatically turns the light on while viewing the face of the watch in dark conditions.

It’s a really well-executed LED with good screen coverage and no hot spots. But personally, we’re still fans of the green electro-luminescent backlight, although we understand the need for change; LEDs have a better lifespan, durability, and battery efficiency.

Keeping all these features powered is a solar-powered quartz movement G-SHOCK dubs “Tough Solar” alongside the previously referenced module 3495. Casio’s proprietary solar charging system converts, not only sunlight but even light from weak light sources such as fluorescent lamps, into power. And once the power reserve is topped off, it’s virtually maintenance-free for the life of the watch. 

Keeping the watch accurate is G-SHOCK’s employment of Multi-Band 6 automatic radio time adjustment, synchronizing with six radio frequency transmitters worldwide. These transmitters, strategically placed across key regions, emit time calibration signals that the watch deciphers to adjust itself to the correct local time, including daylight saving changes. 

From a purely aesthetic perspective, the all-black resin strap appears to be mostly unchanged from previous iterations of the 5000 and 5600 series, but similar to our first impression reactions, you can truly feel the difference once you’ve strapped this watch onto your wrist.

Entry-level G-SHOCK straps can feel like plastic on your wrist – they’re also stiff and don’t mold to the contours of your body. The GW-5000U’s strap construction, however, is a different story. It feels like a premium experience, wearing soft and comfortable while the lugged internal edges keep the watch securely snug under wet conditions.

And while we would’ve preferred a more squared-off metal buckle to better align with the watch’s square design language, it’s a minor design preference from our end rather than a design flaw from G-SHOCK.

We’d be hard-pressed to find a better watch brand that bridges the gap between horology enthusiasts and your average Joe, and it’s one of the things we love most about G-SHOCK. So, is the G-SHOCK GW-5000U worth it?

In a world that’s increasingly more digital, more than ever, we appreciate analog experiences and both the craftsmanship and art form of watches powered by automatic and mechanical movements. Apple watches and Fitbits are plentiful, and we understand how that can make opting for any digital watch (G-SHOCK or otherwise) feel almost –– dare we say –– sacrilegious to some. And so, as the saying goes, “It’s the kind of thing you’d like, if you like that kind of thing.”

Simply put, this is the sleeper G-SHOCK for those who love G-SHOCK. Regardless of how much we think others know (or even care) about the watch we’re wearing, no one is going to know that you’re wearing some premium, “Made In Japan,” DLC-coated steel core G-SHOCK. And, that’s perfectly okay for us.

The G-SHOCK GW-5000U is a watch that’s universally loved by the watch community, and if you’re a G-SHOCK collector, this feels like a must-have in the collection. 

For the rest of us, this is certainly a contender for the ultimate one-and-done G-SHOCK. It’s a grab-and-go, self-sustaining, ultra-durable watch that’s both reliable and understated in its design –– and that’s everything we can ask for in an affordable, go-anywhere do-anything watch.