Casio has dressed four of its oldest G-Shock shapes in matte black and gray, and so far you can only buy them in Japan. No US release has been announced.
Price: ¥17,076 (DW-5600MTM-8JF)
Where to Buy: IPPO Japan
The trick is the contrast: matte resin cases set against a honed metal buckle and silver-coated glass. Underneath, all four keep 20-bar water resistance, the Super Illuminator backlight and a battery rated for about five years, which the DW-5900 doubles.
Is the classic square the one to get?
For most wrists, yes. At ¥15,950 (about $101) it’s the cheapest of the four and, at 58 grams, the lightest. Case, bezel and band are biomass resin, and the module keeps the stopwatch, timer, alarm and flash alert.
Want the biggest case on your wrist?
That’s the DW-6900, at ¥17,050. It wears the largest of the set and is the only one with the honed finish carried onto its front button.
Which one is built for travel?
The DW-5900. It costs the same as the square but adds World Time for 48 cities, and it’s the one with the longer battery.
Is the patchwork DWE-5600 worth nearly double?
Only if you are buying it for the band. At ¥28,050 (about $177) you get stainless links on one side, urethane, fine-resin and one translucent link on the other, and a carbon-fiber-reinforced center case. It weighs 94 grams, and nothing electronic changes.
If you’d rather buy the square shape from Amazon today, Casio’s all-black DW5600UE-1CR carries the same Super Illuminator backlight in plain resin.
Price: $83.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
For the monochrome set itself, importing is the only route right now.
Price: ¥17,076 (DW-5600MTM-8JF)
Where to Buy: IPPO Japan
The patchwork model has the real idea here, but the plain square is the one most people should buy.
