Casio G-Shock GST-B1000 Review – Luxury G-Shocks at a Great Price

Tags: Review | Casio | Classic

14.11.2025 | 4 MIN

Luxurious, above all versatile. That’s the new Casio G-Shock GST-B1000. Unusually compact for a G-Shock, dressed in a luxury guise and with the brand’s trademark toughness. Is this the path G-Shock should take?

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The trend toward smaller sizes hasn’t missed G-Shock either. Who would have expected it from the G-Steel sub-line, which has always been robust and showy. The GST-B1000 changes the game, departing from the original G-Steel formula not only in the number in its name but also in its execution.

Design – Betting on Minimalism

A few months back, in my review of the G-Shock GBA-950, I wrote they were the best-looking G-Shocks in recent times. I still like them a lot, but with the benefit of hindsight, I’m changing my stance.

The most accomplished G-Shocks of late are, without debate, the ones under review today – the G-Shock GST-B1000.

I saw them, I heard about them, and I was floored — in a good way. Is the new G-Steel inspired by the Edifice line? Or did Casio aim a few tiers higher, coming surprisingly close to the MT-G and MR-G families?

Casio hasn’t said a word about that, but one thing is certain: the spirit of these watches survives from the traditional G-Shock concept.

The conceptual building blocks still follow the familiar cues that are typical of G-Shock. In my eyes, though, it’s hard to deny there’s inspiration from Edifice when we talk about the final finishing. Given the price, you don’t get cutting-edge high-tech materials, but you wouldn’t know at first glance. On the contrary, your first impression will likely echo mine: is this an MT-G or MR-G?

Formality and G-Shock have never fully aligned. If we’re going to talk about anything resembling formality, it would be G-Steel. With this model, we can say it with hardly a second thought — but let’s glance back at the history of G-Steel.

They all had one thing in common: a metal case, often with a bracelet. That certainly felt more upscale than the resin typical of G-Shock. However, alongside the metal elements they also tended to have fairly outsized dimensions which, while emblematic of G-Shock, didn’t exactly support formality and elegance.

And that’s where the GST-B1000 differ. They chart a minimalist course. That’s reflected in the compact case dimensions of 44.2 × 11.6 mm. The all-metal construction also shows in the weight, which is 118 grams — still very acceptable for daily wear.

The watch’s core is protected by an inner housing made of lightweight carbon fiber–reinforced resin. It’s tough yet light, doing exactly what it should in safeguarding the watch module itself. The module houses the solar-powered quartz movement, Casio 5748, with an accuracy of ±15 seconds per month.

Steel case covers, secured by screws, are then mounted over the inner module housing. The case is finished off with a steel bracelet — more on that in a moment.

Casio deserves praise for the execution. It’s simple yet meticulous. Casio has dispensed with the upper-left pusher, which surprised me at first. Everything can be adjusted via the crown. Small as it is, it’s finished as precisely as the rest of the watch. It’s even so small that I, with my slender fingers, struggled to unscrew it. Once I did, operation via the crown was pleasant.

What may captivate you even more than the build itself is the dial.

The brick motif of the dial nods back decades to one of the first G-Shocks — the DW-5000C. Those had a brick pattern around the display, which the GST-B1000 explicitly references.

Casio G-Shock DW-5000C, zdroj: wornandwound.com

The minimalist dial is gently broken up by two subdials, which makes sense conceptually — without them it wouldn’t feel like a G-Shock. The lower-left subdial acts as a function indicator, showing which mode the watch is currently in. The right subdial serves as an AM/PM indicator. The subdials are among the things you see. What you don’t see is the solar panel hidden beneath the dial. It harvests light and keeps the watch running for a long time with virtually no fuss.

The hands and indices carry a subtle application of lume — discreet enough not to stand out, yet sufficient for clear legibility at night. As a backup, there’s an LED between the fifth and sixth indices.

I’ll wrap up the tour of the design with the steel bracelet. It’s neatly executed, has a well-done folding clasp, and generally completes the cohesive, premium impression.

The only thing that somewhat undercuts the luxury narrative is the mineral crystal. Yes, sapphire would be great, but it isn’t exactly typical for G-Shock, so I understand its omission.

What is typical, on the other hand, is shock resistance, resistance to low and high temperatures, and of course water resistance of 200 meters.

Functions

The most advanced is Bluetooth, which solves everything. You can pair the watch with your phone via the app and then set just about anything in there. It’s much easier than doing it manually via the crown and buttons. Of course, it’s not mandatory — the watch can be set up without the app as well.

The GST-B1000 are fantastic, but they don’t introduce anything particularly new in terms of features. They cover the essentials: stopwatch, automatic calendar, countdown timer, and alarm.

Verdict

This review has been largely positive, and so is my verdict. At last, here are G-Shocks that are compact yet presentable.

Quite frankly, I think this is a great compromise versus the premium lines, for which you’d pay multiples more. The price tag on this model is defensible. You get excellent execution, solar charging, Bluetooth connectivity to your phone, and the only thing that would truly make me happy is a sapphire crystal — but so be it.

Photo credits:

• Hodinky 365 photographers
• casio.com