The Casio G-Shock Square: Which Classic 5600 Is Right for You?
From the budget-proof DW-5600 to the full-metal GMW-B5000, Casio's square G-Shock comes in more flavors than you'd think. Here's how to choose.
No watch is more iconic to the G-Shock line than “the square” — the angular 5600-series silhouette that traces straight back to the original 1983 G-Shock. The shape has barely changed in forty years, but the lineup underneath it has exploded. Here’s how to pick the right one.
The DW-5600: the honest original
The DW-5600 is the purest expression of the square. Resin case, resin strap, EL backlight, and the kind of toughness that made G-Shock a household name. It’s inexpensive, light on the wrist, and almost impossible to kill. If you want one G-Shock that captures the whole idea, this is it.
The GW-B5600 / GW-5610: solar and radio
Step up and you get Tough Solar (no battery changes) and Multi-Band 6 radio time-syncing, which keeps the watch atomic-clock accurate automatically. Many add Bluetooth for phone-based setting. Same look, far less fiddling.
The GMW-B5000: the full-metal flagship
The GMW-B5000 wraps the square in stainless steel (and, in some references, gold or other finishes). It’s heavier, dressier, and pricier — but it turned the humble square into a genuine grail for collectors. Solar, Bluetooth and multi-band radio come along for the ride.
How to choose
| If you want… | Buy |
|---|---|
| Maximum value & lightness | DW-5600 |
| Never set or charge it again | GW-B5600 / GW-5610 |
| A metal “grown-up” square | GMW-B5000 |
The bottom line
The square is the rare watch that works as a $60 beater and a several-hundred- dollar collector’s piece — same DNA, wildly different execution. Start with what you’ll actually wear, and know there’s always another square to graduate to.
