One of Casio’s most popular collections of watches is G-Shock, famous for their rugged appearance and shock resistant durability. Now, the family is being expanded with four new G-Steel timepieces that add a slimline aesthetic to the mix. In fact, they’re the slimmest G-Steels to date, the GST-B400s.
Let’s start by talking about that slimness – the GST-B400s have proportions of 46.6×49.6×12.9mm the smallest of any G-Steel. But while they might be the slimmest, they’re not exactly slim by normal standards, maintaining the classic rugged appearance seen across all G-shocks. That being said, a lot of engineering has gone into reducing the size, it’s not so simple as squashing the case a bit.
The most apparent change from the GST-B200 is that the GST-B400s forego having analogue second hands, instead only including central hour and minute hands. This allows the hand-stack to be smaller, presumably letting the crystal sit closer to the dial. The module is also new, having been redesigned with smaller and fewer parts that allow the different mechanisms to sit on a shallower plane.
A second result of the redesign is that the GST-B400 consumes 55.7% less power than its predecessor, making it much more efficient and less wasteful. This is the result of having smaller light transmissive elements (i.e. smaller digital screens). An outcome of smaller screens is that there is a greater proportion of bare dial on display, which has led Casio to experiment with different metallic colours.
Each of the four different colours on offer has their own watch reference number so let’s run through them quickly: Black = GST-B400. Silver = GST-B400D. Red = GST-B400AD. Blue = GST-B400BD. The black and silver options are common to Casio’s other timepieces and the metallic red and blue were developed from various experiments involving vapour deposition.
Other than the addition of new colours, slimmer proportions and a redesigned layout, it’s business as usual for Casio. Solar charging and Bluetooth™ connectivity are included for great longevity and accuracy and the stainless steel case is as rugged as you’d expect. There are also options for stainless steel bracelets or resin straps. And of course, this is Casio so they’re great value, £299 – £479 depending on the model.
Price & Specs:
Model: Casio G-Shock Slimline G-Steel
Reference: GST-B400 (black dial, stainless steel case, resin strap)
GST-B400D (black dial, stainless steel case & bracelet)
GST-B400AD (red dial, stainless steel case & bracelet)
GST-B400BD (blue dial, black IP plated & bracelet)
Case/Dial: 46.6mm x 49.6mm diameter x 12.9mm height, stainless steel or black IP plated, vapor deposition-treated dial with double LED light
Water Resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Digital
Power Reserve: Approximately 7 months after full charge, 18 months with power-saving function (power-saving after a certain period in a dark location) after full charge, solar charging
Functions: Hours, minutes, world time, alarm, stopwatch, countdown timer, battery level indicator Bluetooth® connectivity, smartphone link functions, phone finder
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet or resin
Price/Availability: £299 (black dial, resin strap), £379 (black dial, stainless steel bracelet), £399 (red dial, stainless steel bracelet) and £479 (blue dial, black IP plated bracelet)
More details at G-SHOCK.
