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Casio 48.5mm Mens Watch
Ref. GBA-950-1AER
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The GBA-950 sits within G-Shock's training-focused range as a tighter, more wrist-friendly successor to the GBA-900 series, built around the question of how much activity tracking you can pack into something that does not overwhelm the arm. At 53 grams it disappears on the wrist in a way that larger G-Shocks do not, and 200m water resistance means it handles open-water swimming as readily as a track session. The strap is worth attention. Developed with OUTSENSE Inc. using origami engineering — wave-shaped folds on the underside translated from paper-folding geometry into rubber — it flexes with the wrist rather than fighting it, which matters across a long run. The Bluetooth link to Casio's app allows the watch to borrow GPS calibration from a phone and then continue measuring pace independently once the session is under way, with Strava compatibility built in. Neobrite on both hands and hour markers, backed by a double LED illuminator, keeps the dial readable when neither of those things seems possible.
- Reference
- GBA-950-1AER
- Brand
- Casio
- Collection
- G-Shock
- Case size
- 48.5mm
- Case thickness
- 16mm
- Case material
- Resin
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 5737
- Functions
- Day-date
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 48.5mm
- Weight
- 53g
Learn more about Casio
Tadao Kashio founded Kashio Seisakujo in Tokyo in 1946 as a machine shop. The company's first success was a finger ring that held a cigarette, and its second was the 14-A of 1957 — the world's first all-electric compact calculator, which used solenoids rather than gears.
Casio entered watchmaking in 1974 with the Casiotron, a digital watch with an automatic calendar that knew the varying lengths of months. The company approached watches as an electronics manufacturer rather than a horological one, and that difference produced the G-Shock.
The G-Shock came from a single engineer, Kikuo Ibe, who broke a watch his father had given him and set out to build one that could not break. The specification was three tens: survive a ten-metre drop, ten bars of water pressure, and ten years of battery life. It took over two hundred prototypes, and the solution was suspending the module inside the case on a cushioned internal structure rather than mounting it rigidly. The DW-5000C shipped in 1983.
It became one of the most durable product designs in any category, adopted by militaries, emergency services, and skateboarders alike, and Casio has since added solar charging, radio and GPS timekeeping, Bluetooth, and full-metal and carbon variants.
Casio also produces the Edifice, Pro Trek, and Oceanus lines, and remains an independent Japanese public company.
- 1946
- Tadao Kashio founds the company in Tokyo.
- 1974
- The Casiotron is Casio's first digital watch.
- 1983
- The G-Shock DW-5000C survives Kikuo Ibe's three-tens brief.
- 1994
- The Frogman extends G-Shock to ISO dive certification.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Casio G-Shock range (91), Back in Stock (4,868), Automatic Watches (1,750), Watches 44mm and Over (802), Sports Watches (800), Dive Watches (572) and Automatic Watches Under £500 (336).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 48.5mm lug-to-lug keeps the 48.5mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 48.5mm is a large watch with real presence
- 16mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Casio 48.5mm Mens Watch alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | GBA-950-1AER | ME3080 | PEWJK21951011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £130 | £139 | £110 |
| Case size | 48.5mm | 50mm | 48mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 200m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWill it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 48.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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