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

Product Information

A mixture of vapor deposition and grind mark finishing on the outer ring and indices, respectively, adds a luxurious texture to the dial. On The Wrist 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.

One simple yet useful upgrade Casio made to the GMB2100, is the addition of lume for the hour markers, not just luminous hour and minute hands, as was the case with the GM2100. Both have on-demand dual LEDs for visibility in total darkness, still, the fully-lumed dial is a nice touch. 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. 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. With a push of a button, hands are moving and permit a free visibility of functions like stopwatch or date.Elapsed time, split time and final time are measured with 1/100-sec accuracy. The watch can measure times of up to 24 hours. 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. Powered by any light source, saving time and money as no battery change required- known as TOUGH SOLAR

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. Furthermore, both models have a flat mineral crystal that’s sunken below the plane of the bezel, meaning neither is likely to scratch. 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.

Product Features

On the wrist, I expected the 44 mm diameter to be cumbersome and a bit too large for my wrist and personal taste, but in reality, the case feels more like a 40 or 42 mm, primarily because the hinges on the left and right sides of the case add to the diameter but don’t make the watch wear as large as the dimensions suggest. I’ve yet to try on the smaller GMS2100 Series, which measures 40 mm in diameter, but I imagine it will have similar real-life wearability, which is to say it will likely wear small and comfortably as well — which is a good thing. At 11.8 mm, the case is incredibly thin and greatly enhances the incredible ergonomics. The lug-to-lug at 48.5 mm is also a key factor in why this watch wears so well (Casio’s official specifications state that it’s 49.3 lug-to-lug). The button tones on the mode button can be switched off for discreet operation. Pre-set alarm or timer functions remain active.