Do you, like us, love the Casio G-Shock GA-2100 — often known to fans as the “CasiOak?” Well, it’s now even better, thanks to a spate of 2022 upgrades very much worth bringing to your attention.

Coming to the U.S. in June, the new inclusion of the brand’s Tough Solar technology takes the fashionable GA-2100 watches to a new level — but the best part is, even with these premium features, the CasiOak is still highly affordable — and just as much fun as ever.

In any G-Shock watch, there are a couple of features worth looking for — and the GA-B2100 (a “B” has been added to the name, so you know) has them. As with any watch, you want strong legibility, but with G-Shocks we always recommend paying the slight premium for models with Tough Solar. This is Casio’s name for its light-charging tech (it works with any light, not just sunlight, for what it’s worth) that should keep your watch running without the need for a battery change — potentially for decades. The old GA-2100 series was really just an ephemeral fashion item with a three-year battery life; now, it’s a serious G-Shock.

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The Casio G-Shock GA-B2100-1A.

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In addition to Tough Solar, the new watches also offer a Bluetooth connection for even more features via a smartphone link; this doesn’t make it a full-blown smartwatch with notifications and the like, but it does offer some handy features like “Find My Phone.” It also includes recent (but not new) upgrades like Casio’s Carbon Core Guard, a carbon structure within the plastic case that helps increase general durability.

First introduced in 2019, the GA-2100 was an unexpected smash hit. Though not quite at the same level of, say, MoonSwatch madness, these unassuming plastic watches sold out and became coveted items. That’s likely got something to do with their resemblance to other octagonal watch icons like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, from which it derives its playful nickname, the CasiOak.

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The Casio G-Shock GA-B2100-2A

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These are the slim, interesting-looking GA-2100 watches that took the world by storm — only better. The upgrades will be available in five different color versions of the GA-B2100 in June 2022 — but we can confidently expect even more variations in the future. You can get any version for $150, unless you want yellow; that’ll cost you $10 more.

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