Casio Men's Analogue-Digital Quartz Watch with Plastic Strap GM-2100-1AER

Product Information

The button tones on the mode button can be switched off for discreet operation. Pre-set alarm or timer functions remain active. Overall, the new GMB2100 dial is another level above the GM2100, however, the solar-powered recharging system necessitates a translucent material and thus prevents the application of a brushed or sunburst finish on the dial, whereas the GM2100 does feature a nice vertical brushed treatment. Also, the higher-end GMB2100 comes with a monotone color scheme, which looks menacing but is perhaps not as legible as the silver dial seen on the GM2100. Even with a mobile Bluetooth connection, the movement is accurate to -/+ 15 seconds per month. The approximate battery operating time is 7 months when fully charged, with normal use, even without light exposure, and 18 months when stored in total darkness and the power save mode activated. As far as the strap versus the bracelet, the Metal-Covered GM2100’s resin strap fits well and is comfortable, although it has a stiff rather than soft feel, and it’s connected to the case via traditional spring bars and has levers that slide on each side so you can switch the strap without any tools. Whereas the Full Metal GMB2100 has screw bars, which are stronger, and allow the bracelet to be removed with a watchmaker’s flat-head screwdriver. The bracelet links, however, have push-pins, not screw-pins, which require you to push them out versus requiring a screwdriver. The bracelet features a dimpled design borrowed from the original look of the 1983 DW-5000C, and has a premium look and feel, and with removable links and 4 micro adjustments on the push-button claps, the fit can be customized more precisely than a strap. Depending on your preference, the total weight of the Full Metal GMB2100 is 168.9 grams versus 71.5 grams for the Metal-Covered GM2100 model.

Elapsed time, split time and final time are measured with 1/100-sec accuracy. The watch can measure times of up to 24 hours. Furthermore, both models have a flat mineral crystal that’s sunken below the plane of the bezel, meaning neither is likely to scratch. CASIO WATCH+ World Time lets you select from among approximately 300 cities as the World Time City, Displays the current time in major cities and specific areas around the world While the module is not Bluetooth connected or solar-powered, there’s a certain level of reliability that can be appreciated by a watch you set yourself and that’s powered by replaceable batteries. Not to mention, this allows Casio to offer a solid dial — versus a semi-transparent dial that’s required for sunlight to enter on a solar-powered watch — with the attractive vertical brushed vapor finish. There are almost always trade-offs, and this is a good one considering the dial, to me, is one of the primary highlights of this watch. Pressing a button on the watch records the date, time, and position on a map, which is then viewable within the Casio Watches App. The watch can remind you of up to five upcoming events, which you set within the app. There’s a phone finder function activated from the watch.With the Casio Watches App, you can set the world time with 38 time zones (38 cities + coordinated universal time), city name display, daylight saving on/off, auto summer time (DST) switching, and Home city/World time city swapping (approximately 300 cities in total). Of the DW-5000C-derived Casio designs, this is one of the best, and while I’d like to see a little more contrast on the dial of the Full Metal GMB2100 or an option for a strap, both the Metal-Covered GM2100 and the Full Metal GMB2100, represent great looking watches, with good Japanese quartz precision, and incredible durability. Technical amendments and errors excepted. The sizes in figures do not correspond to the original sizes. With the GM2100 series, you get the hype of the CasiOak — which is named for its resemblance to watch designer Gerald Genta’s famous octagonal Royal Oak design — now in a more durable and premium metal-clad version, and for a very reasonable price.

The built-in stopwatch is accurate to 1/100th of a second for the first 60 minutes, after which the accuracy changes to one second, and the total measuring capacity of 24 hours. You can measure elapsed time and lap/split time and there’s also a 60-minute countdown timer. The daily alarm reminds you about recurring events with an acoustic signal at the time you have set. This model has 5 independent alarms for flexible reminders of important appointments. The metal bracelet of the GMB2100 is nicely tapered and feels good on the wrist. Yet what’s practically unavoidable for any watch with an integrated metal bracelet, is the added heft. The bracelet, and to a lesser extent, the heavier module and full-metal case construction, make for a watch that weighs 168.9 grams versus just 71.5 grams for the GM2100 with a resin strap. Titanium, forged, and ceramic are three options to reduce weight from bracelets, however, those also add cost. A fourth option, and one that’s been used by Casio in the past, is to essentially hollow out a steel bracelet and fill it with resin, which significantly reduces weight while not exceedingly raising the cost. Two examples of that within that MT-G collection can be seen here and here. Despite weight savings, some consumers will never want a strap over a metal bracelet, especially for a sports watch. Maybe because of the looks, or perhaps they prefer the heavier feel or both. Nevertheless, Casio offers both, although, for the time being, there’s no way to add a factory metal bracelet to the GM2100 or a factory strap to the GMB2100. There are 5 daily alarms available to set and an on/off hourly time signal, as well as a battery level indicator so you can ensure that the battery has received enough sunlight/artificial light. To conserve energy, the Power Saving features blanks out the display automatically when not in use (left in the dark). The GMB2100 wears great on the wrist thanks to the relatively conservative 44.4 mm diameter and 49.8 mm lug-to-lug by 12.8 mm case size. Being that this has an aesthetic resemblance to the Royal Oak, going much larger would put it into a whole other territory. And on that note, I think that if this watch reaches critical mass for Casio, it would make sense to offer it in a smaller size as well, just as they have with previous resin, translucent resin, and metal-covered models.

Reviews

Measuring Capacity: 24 hours, Measuring Modes: Elapsed time, split time, Measuring Unit: 1/100 second (for the first 60 minutes) 1 second (after 60 minutes)

The hour and minute hands move like normal quartz-powered analog hands, with the exception that the minute hands move every 20 seconds, to conserve energy. The dedicated analog display on the right shows the battery level and mode. The small digital display can show hours, minutes, seconds, AM/PM, month, date, and day. Hand shift feature which allows you to move the analog hands out of the way to provide an unobstructed view of the digital display. For fans of precision: the countdown timers help you to remember specific or recurring events by giving off an audible signal at a preset time. They The time can be set to the nearest second and up to 24 hours in advance. A full auto-calender displays the day (days of the week can be selected in six languages), date, month, and year (accurate to 2099). You can run the digital display in a 12/24 hour format. The push buttons can be set to have a tone when operated or not.

With a push of a button, hands are moving and permit a free visibility of functions like stopwatch or date. Synthetic resin is the ideal material for wrist straps thanks to its extremely durable and flexible properties. Daily Alarms: Each will sound every day at the time you set, Hourly time signal: The watch beeps every hour on the hour In my experience, the brushed surface of the bezel holds up well, even with significant impacts. However, I’m not sure how durable the polished portion of the case will be, although on the sample units the only noticeable scratches were actually on the bezel, which you may notice in some of the photos in this review. Dual Illuminator: Separate illumination of the analogue and digital components ensures optimum readability in low light conditions., LED light, Selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), With afterglow