Casio G-SHOCK GM-B2100BD-1AER Solar Bluetooth Black IP Bracelet Watch - W17649

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Casio G-SHOCK GM-B2100BD-1AER Solar Bluetooth Black IP Bracelet Watch - W17649

Name: Casio G-SHOCK GM-B2100BD-1AER Solar Bluetooth Black IP Bracelet Watch - W17649
Brand: Casio
SKU: GM-B2100BD-1AER
Availability: InStock

Ref. GM-B2100BD-1AER

Among our 129 Casio watchesThis watch£549

Premium

Sits in Casio’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Casio watches we list, which start at £25.

The GM-B2100BD marks the first time the 2100 line — itself a direct descendant of the DW-5000C, the original G-SHOCK from 1983 — has been built entirely in metal. The octagonal case form and the dimpled bracelet links are lifted straight from that 1983 reference, but here they are realised in black ion-plated stainless steel rather than resin, which changes the register of the watch considerably. The screw-back case carries the shock resistance the line has always promised, and high-density mounting keeps the analogue-digital module to 12.8mm — slim enough that the bracelet drapes rather than stacks. At 165g it is a substantial thing on the wrist, and it wears like one: the all-black finish reads as a single coherent object rather than a collection of parts. Bluetooth sync through the Casio app keeps the hands true without manual correction, and Tough Solar means that under normal light exposure the watch looks after its own energy indefinitely.

Reference: GM-B2100BD-1AER
Brand: Casio
Collection: G-Shock
Case size: 44mm
Case material: Black PVD
Case shape: Round
Dial: Black
Crystal: Mineral
Movement: Automatic
Functions: Date, Stopwatch, Countdown timer, Alarm, Backlight, World time, Perpetual calendar, Solar powered, Bluetooth, Dual display
Water resistance: 200m
Bracelet / strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Strap colour: Black
Clasp: Three-fold clasp
Lume: Luminous
Retailer: F.Hinds

Additional specifications

Weight: 165g

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.

All Casio watches

Manufacturer’s guarantee

Best of 2 retailers

What the specifications mean

A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.

Strengths

200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
Luminous hands and markers for low light
Second time zone for travelling
One of Casio's more premium watches

Worth knowing

44mm sits at the larger end

Best forDivingSwimmingTravelEveryday wear

Less suited toSmall wrists

Compare alternatives

Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.

G-SHOCK GM-B2100BD-1AER Solar Bluetooth Black IP Bracelet Watch - W17649 compared with 2 alternatives from other brands
Specification	This watchG-SHOCK GM-B2100BD-1AER Solar Bluetooth Black IP Bracelet Watch - W17649GM-B2100BD-1AER	SeikoProspex SPB101J1 Sumo Automatic Diver's Watch - W24151SPB101J1	TissotSeastar 1000 Chronograph 45.5mm Mens Watch GreyT1204171708101
Price	£549	£546	£550
Case size	44mm	45mm	45.5mm
Water resistance	200m	200m	300m
Movement	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic
Strap	Stainless steel bracelet	Stainless steel bracelet	Rubber strap
Power reserve	—	70 hours	—
	This watch	Closely matched	Rated deeper Wears larger

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.

Will the glass scratch?

It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.

Does it need a battery?

No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.

Is it a men's or women's watch?

Listed as men's.

Cheapest place to buy

Both Goldsmiths and F.Hinds list it at £549, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.

Who are Goldsmiths?

Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.