The Wind Up: Getting to Grips with G-Shock’s New 2500 Series ‘CasioNaut’

Hello and welcome back to another instalment of The Wind Up. This is Man of Many’s weekly rundown of the horological encounters, events, and releases that have caught my eye over the past seven days. I’m Rob, one of Man of Many’s ever-more-obsessed watch tragics, and I’m very happy to be joining you once again.

This week, we’re trying something a little different. In place of the usual Swiss-made artistry, I’ve had a handful of G-Shock’s new 2500 Series on my wrist. The response to these releases within our team and the wider watch community has been seismic. So, read on to discover my thoughts as we explore if these are the watches to turn G-Shock’s fortunes around. In addition, we have the opening of The Hour Glass’ swanky new Sydney boutique, as well as the latest from Franck Muller, Vacheron Constantin, and Glashütte Original.

As always, there’s no time like the present and not a second to waste, so let’s crack on with the latest edition of Man of Many’s The Wind Up.

On the Wrist: G-Shock 2500 Series ‘CasioNaut’

When I was growing up, you fell into one of two camps. You either had a G-Shock, or you wanted one. They were accessibly priced, had a strong design language, and possessed that intangible yet essential factor that made them irresistible: cool.

However, following their peak, they slipped into market oversaturation and overexposure. That caused the cool factor to start to wane, which has been G-Shock’s trajectory for the last decade or so. Now, the brand is launching a comeback with its new 2500 Series, and I think this could very well be the release that turns G-Shock’s fortunes around.

I’ve had four of these new references on my desk for the last couple of weeks, and I’ve really enjoyed wearing them, as have my colleagues, who frequently stop by to ask if they can borrow one.

A large part of the 2500 Series appeal comes from its undeniable resemblance to a certain luxury sports watch. Each watch’s case sides unquestionably call to mind the Patek Philippe Nautilus, earning them the unofficial nickname “CasioNaut”.

There are nine incarnations across the range, available in all-resin, steel-resin hybrid, and full-steel builds. On my desk, I’ve had the all-resin in both its black and yellow colourways, the steel-resin hybrid with the silver dial, and the all-steel with the black dial.

The watches are entirely analogue and built around the new Casio 5757 quartz module, which hides a couple of clever tricks. The first is its stopwatch functionality, which would normally be handled by a G-Shock’s digital screen (absent here).

With the CasioNaut, you instead press the pusher at 8 o’clock, which causes the date wheel to rotate until it displays “ST”. You then start the timer with the pusher at 4 o’clock, and the seconds hand rotates, counting seconds, as the date wheel counts elapsed minutes. While all of this is going on, the minute and hour hands continue tracking time as normal.

Similarly clever is the watch’s calendar function, which is calibrated to keep on top of odd-length months and leap years up until the year 2099. Given these are G-Shocks, with 200 metres of water resistance and that tough-as-nails build, you know they’re designed to last.

On the wrist, they feel well-proportioned and wear smaller than their on-paper dimensions suggest. That said, I recommend going for the all-resin and steel-resin hybrid versions. The bracelet on the all-steel model just isn’t up to snuff in my opinion, with loose links that make it feel cheaper than its counterparts, despite being considerably more expensive at AUD$559, while the resin-steel hybrid models are priced between AUD$459 and AUD$499, and their resin counterparts come in at AUD$289.

That aside, there’s a lot to love about this new line, and I think they’ll be embraced by watch enthusiasts and casual wearers alike. Truth be told, they’re not the kind of thing I’m normally drawn to, but I genuinely appreciate the analogue approach, that cheeky case shape, and the overall execution.

Will the 2500 Series deliver the comeback G-Shock is looking for? Based on the public’s response so far, and the enthusiasm my colleagues have shown over the last couple of weeks, I think the brand is genuinely onto something here. Either way, I’ll certainly find space for one of these in my rotation.

G-Shock 2500 Series (Resin) Key Specs:

• References: GAC2500-1A (black), GAC2500-3A (green), GAC2500-7A (white), GAC2500-9A (yellow)
• Construction: Resin case and band
• Size: 46.7 x 44.5 x 12.7 mm
• Weight: 47 g
• Water resistance: 200 metres
• Price: AUD$289

G-Shock 2500 Series (Resin-Steel Hybrid) Key Specs:

• References: GMC2500-1A and GMC2500-1A8 (black and silver, AUD$459), GMC2500G-9A (gold ion-plated, AUD$499)
• Construction: Stainless steel bezel, bio-based resin case and band
• Dial: Brass, with a sunray or honing finish
• Size: 46.7 x 43.8 x 12.9 mm
• Weight: 68 g
• Water resistance: 200 metres
• Price: AUD$459 – AUD$499

G-Shock 2500 Series (Steel) Key Specs:

• References: GMC2500D-1A (black), GMC2500D-1A2 (blue grey)
• Construction: Stainless steel case and bracelet
• Size: 46.7 x 43.8 x 12.9 mm
• Weight: 138 g
• Water resistance: 200 metres
• Price: AUD$559

On the ‘Gram: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Sport

This week’s Instagram outing comes from our recent time with the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Sport. Pairing a reduced size with a more technical design language, these releases see TAG continue to stake its claim as the ultimate motorsport watchmaker.

The Hour Glass’ Stunning Sydney Boutique

I recently had the privilege of attending the grand opening of The Hour Glass’ new Sydney boutique. Let me tell you, if you’re a fan of watches (why else would you be reading this?) and find yourself in the Harbour City, this is a must-visit destination.

More reminiscent of a gallery or museum than a retail space, the boutique located at 108 King Street is a thing of considerable beauty, both in terms of its architecture and the timepieces waiting to be discovered within.

With brands like Cartier, MB&F, Gérald Genta, Rolex, F.P.Journe, and more, it’s worth stopping by even if you’re not in the market to make a purchase. You won’t find a more elegant or inspiring space to explore some of the most desirable watches in Australia.

In Other Watch News…

Glashütte Original’s Latest Bring the Shimmer

Glashütte Original has unveiled a pair of Senator Aventurine watches, one of which pairs deep-blue glass with platinum and another (my pick, above) opts for a shimmering shade of green accompanied by a red gold case.

The dials get their sparkle from metal oxides in aventurine glass, and each piece is assembled by a single watchmaker. They’re not cheap, but I wouldn’t expect anything else from Glashütte Original, with the Art Déco Blue costing AUD$55,200 and the Art Nouveau Green setting you back AUD$52,200.

Vacheron Constantin’s Trots Out the Goat

A few days ago, I wrote about Vacheron Constantin’s new Métiers d’Art The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac – Year of the Goat releases, and they’ve frequently come to mind since. While they’re not the kind of thing I’d ever wear (it’s unlikely I could justify the expense anyway), I really like the mechanism that allows the dial to be dominated by the goat motif.

Thanks to the Calibre 2460 G4, there are no hands sweeping across the artwork, but rather a system of four discs (one at the edge of each dial quadrant) that shows trailing hours and minutes in apertures on the upper part of the dial, with jumping day and date windows on the lower part. It’s an elegant solution that lets the skill of the maison’s artisans take centre stage.

Franck Muller’s India Exclusive

This is a contender for my favourite release from the last seven days. Pity then that it’s an India-exclusive limited to just 108 individually numbered pieces. That means the chances of me getting to see it in the flesh are quite limited.

It boasts a raised depiction of Lord Ram in his childhood form that took two years to develop, with roughly 30 hours of laser processing per dial. With that kind of labour, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the rose-gold edition costs roughly AUD $46,500. Also unsurprising is that all 108 pieces are reportedly already spoken for.