Compare it to how an agitated bull reacts to a red flag. The bright yellow Casio G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A “CasiOak” sure had a strong effect on me. Yellow is a color that is associated with joy but also with danger. And this new and updated CasiOak, which now features solar power and Bluetooth, evokes both. It made us want to test this G-Shock in challenging conditions. So that’s what we did. The result was kind of shocking and maybe not suitable for the faint of heart.

The different G-Shock CasiOak models are immensely popular timepieces. I get it. The watches have an interesting shape and colorways I can get behind. To my taste, however, two elements were missing in the collection — solar power and Bluetooth. Well, now they’re here. Using a solar cell in the dial to power the quartz movement and a rechargeable battery to store surplus energy is the logical evolutionary step from the regular battery. It’s more practical and also more sustainable, and therefore, I think the disposable battery should go the way of the dodo ASAP. Bluetooth connects the G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A to the special app in your smartphone, and that makes operating the watch a breeze. Yes, you can do it on the watch itself, and that’s great. But on your large smartphone screen, setting up and playing with the different functions of the watch is so much more convenient.

G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A

Tough-testing the Casio G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A “CasiOak”

The G-Shock GA-B2100C-9AER has practical functions like world time, alarms, and a stopwatch, and it’s also water resistant to 200 meters. It is, of course, very solid. The high-quality resin that Casio uses feels great to the touch and, with its weight of just 52 grams, wears very comfortably. What’s also comforting is the knowledge that the 45.4mm × 48.5 × 11.9mm watch case is reinforced with carbon — Casio calls that Carbon Core Guard. There’s also a strong mineral glass over the dial that reveals analog hands and a small diamond-shaped display for digital functions.

The upgraded G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A has a price of €159. That’s just €30 more than you pay for the iridescent but technically more basic GA-2100SRS-7A from the trendy Sun Reflect Series. And it’s just under €60 more expensive than, for instance, the blue €99.90 GMA-S2100GA-3A. But with this new model, the Solar Power and Bluetooth connection is now available at a more attractive price level. The tech inside the CasiOak GA-B2100 — there are other versions available in less extravagant colors than our yellow test watch — may attract those who thought the high-end MTG models were great but too costly and/or those who like the looks of the CasiOak but just couldn’t live with the low-tech fundamentals.

Casio G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A

Just like Kikuo Ibe did and then some

So, how did we test the G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A? Well, just like the inventor of the G-Shock, Mr. Kikuo Ibe, we might have dropped the watch from a considerable height. We also might have taken it to a kart track to see how the stopwatch functioned while doing fast laps. But as you know, the track is a dangerous place. Something might have happened to the watch — the pictures kind of give that away.

Casio G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A
Casio G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A

But that’s enough teasing. If you want to know exactly what happened, make sure to watch the video below. Not only will you find out that the Fratello Tough-Testing involved a “drag race” but also that our very thorough procedures led to the creation of the spectacular CasiOak Fratello Rough-Mod, the first of its kind.

Enjoy the video, and let us know what you think of the Casio G-Shock GA-B2100C-9A and its performance in the comments below.

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