TL;DR: The Casio G-Shock G-Steel GM2110D is a rugged, stylish, back-to-basics octagonal timepiece with solid stainless steel forging, a charmingly vintage-feeling bracelet, and no connectivity or solar charging. It’s a contemporary reinterpretation with classic practicality for around AED 1100.

Prelude: My Wrist, My Rules

There is something hilariously rebellious about strapping on a G-Shock these days. In an era where my phone tells me my average resting heart rate, my Apple Watch scolds me for not standing every hour, and even my work Slack channel pings me at 11 PM, there is a sacred pleasure in wearing a watch that does exactly one thing: tells the time.

Enter the G-Shock G-Steel GM2110D. This is Casio’s octagonal steel brute from their ever-expanding GA-2100 (CasiOak) inspired lineup, but unlike its Bluetooth-connected cousins or solar-powered siblings, it feels refreshingly analogue. It’s the horological equivalent of going camping without an iPad, or drinking black coffee without oat milk. Spartan, but stylish.

The Cult of CasiOak and the Rise of Affordable Steel

When the GA-2100 dropped in 2019, it felt like Casio’s sly wink to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak – an octagonal shape with unapologetically G-Shock DNA. The CasiOak nickname spread faster than Elden Ring spoilers, and soon forums were ablaze with modders slapping stainless steel conversion kits onto their plastic GA-2100s.

Casio saw the memes and raised us the G-Steel GM2110D. They forged the bezel, top, and sides from a single block of stainless steel. At a glance, it looks premium, solid, and yes, a little bit like a Royal Oak that’s had too many protein shakes. But I say that with affection. It’s unpretentious and muscular – like The Rock wearing a tuxedo.

Wearing the GM2110D – The Weight of (Affordable) Steel

On wrist, the 44.4mm diameter and 48mm lug-to-lug worried me. I have a 6.75″ wrist, which isn’t pencil-thin but certainly not Sylvester Stallone-tier either. Surprisingly, the GM2110D’s lugs curve down subtly, and while it is large, it never felt like I was wearing a hubcap. The 12mm thickness is svelte for a G-Shock, making it slip under my jacket cuffs when I’m typing furious Slack rants about deadlines.

Then there’s the bracelet. Here’s the deal: Casio uses a folded (stamped) production method instead of solid links. Watch snobs will roll their eyes and clutch their milled clasp Grand Seikos in protest. But honestly? I love it. It feels light, rattly, vintage – like those charming old Seiko 5 bracelets from the 70s and 80s. It tapers from 25mm at the lugs to 18mm at the clasp, giving it that classic silhouette.

Of course, sizing it was an existential crisis. The link pins are accessible only in the center of each link, something I had never seen before. After two coffees, a pin pusher, and a podcast about medieval plague doctors, I sized it perfectly. If you’re squeamish, your local watch tech can do it.

The Dial – Sunburst Simplicity in Five Flavors

Casio released the GM2110D in five colourways – sky blue, lime green, orange, navy, and silver. I opted for the navy (GM2110D-2A) because it screams dependable pilot vibes. The sunburst dial is glorious in direct sunlight, though the lack of lume on indices remains a mild tragedy. Only the hour and minute hands glow in the dark, so in a blackout, you’re relying on the excellent double LED backlight. It’s bright enough to read time in your tent at 2 AM, but lume on indices would have made it sublime.

Functionality – Back to Quartz Reality

This watch uses Casio’s Japanese quartz module 5611, with an accuracy of -15/+15 seconds per month. Read that again: per month. Your mechanical Seiko struggles to stay within 15 seconds per day. While there’s no Tough Solar charging or Bluetooth syncing, the watch runs off two SR726W batteries, giving you three years of no fuss timekeeping.

It has everything you’d expect from a G-Shock: world time, stopwatch, countdown timer, alarms, perpetual calendar, and that bright double LED. But it’s not trying to be your wrist iPhone. There is a purity to its simplicity that resonates with my inner minimalist.

The Philosophy of G-Steel – Affordable Excellence with Vintage Charisma

There is a reason G-Shocks remain the choice of soldiers, firefighters, paramedics, and any profession requiring something that won’t explode if dropped off a building. The GM2110D continues that legacy. True, it lacks the Full Metal’s Bluetooth and solar functionality, but you get a forged steel octagonal icon that won’t shatter if your toddler hurls it off the balcony.

It looks modern, but carries an old-school G-Shock ethos. It’s industrial, a little brash, but utterly unbreakable.

Final Verdict: My Octagonal Odyssey

The Casio G-Shock G-Steel GM2110D is a perfect watch for anyone who loves the CasiOak aesthetic but wants genuine steel, a rattly-vintage bracelet feel, and a daily beater that’s proud of its quartz roots. It isn’t a smartwatch. It won’t tell you how many calories you burned doomscrolling Twitter. But it will tell you the time, every time, reliably, with a charming LED glow and unapologetic chunkiness.