The G-SHOCK GMC-2500 is the watch people are suddenly searching for, and it is easy to see why. Casio has taken the shape of the very first G-SHOCK, the 1983 DW-5000C, and rebuilt it as a clean analog watch with hands, a sculpted metal bezel and a clever little date window. The new 2500 series was announced on October 22, goes on sale in Japan on November 7, and Casio America says it lands in the United States in November. Here is what it is, how the range breaks down and how to get one.
The original square, rebuilt with hands
According to Casio's official announcement, the 2500 series keeps the squared-off silhouette that every classic G-SHOCK has carried since the DW-5000C, then softens it with rounded contours that throw gradients of light and shadow across the case. The signature button guards stay, an octagonal-round bezel frames the dial, and the indexes are kept sharp and simple so the watch reads fast at a glance.
This is a real design pivot for the brand. In a developer interview published by Casio, the product planner explains that digital and analog-digital models make up the large majority of G-SHOCK sales, while analog watches are only around a fifth. The 2500 series is aimed squarely at people who love classic analog watches but have never owned a G-SHOCK. Casio says the goal was not to make an analog copy of the DW-5000C, but to carry over the toughness and the function-first look that made it famous.
Multi-Mission Date and the clever bits
The headline feature is what Casio calls Multi-Mission Date. It is a three-cell window at 3 o'clock that shows the date in normal use, the elapsed minutes when the stopwatch is running, and setting information when you adjust the watch. Enter the year, month and day once, and the full auto calendar handles short months on its own, with Casio America saying it runs through 2099.
The rest of the spec sheet is classic G-SHOCK:
- A magnetic hand-holding structure, so the hands are held by magnetic force instead of being fixed to the shaft, which helps stop them shifting or breaking under a hard knock
- A small seconds hand at 9 o'clock that you can pause to save power, which Casio America says stretches battery life up to five years
- A 1-second stopwatch
- 200 meter water resistance
- Light-emitting diode (LED) illumination for the dial
Casio America also notes that select models use bio-based resin parts.
Which 2500 should you buy
There are nine models across three builds, and the price climbs with the amount of metal:
- GAC-2500: the all-resin entry point, in black, green, white and yellow. The everyday beater of the range.
- GMC-2500: a metal bezel over the resin case with a resin band, in black, silver and a gold version. This is the one in the trending searches, and it is the sweet spot if you want the metal look without the weight of a bracelet.
- GMC-2500D: the full metal bracelet models, with a black dial or a blue dial. The most dressed-up way to wear the original shape.
Pricing is set by region, so check the official G-SHOCK US store for the current figure on each version rather than relying on a number you saw elsewhere. Casio's Japan site already lists every model, including the GMC-2500-1A product page.
How to get one
Casio America says the 2500 series arrives in November at select retailers, on gshock.casio.com and at the G-SHOCK Soho Store in New York. Japan gets it first on November 7. If you want one of the metal versions on day one, sign up for alerts on the official store now, since the gold and blue dial models are the kind that move first.
This one is Surfacing. It is a brand new direction for one of the most recognizable watch shapes ever made, and it fills the gap between a basic digital G-SHOCK and a much pricier analog watch.
Can't wait until November? The square that started it all and the metal-covered octagon that kicked off the current G-SHOCK wave are both available now.
Shop G-SHOCK now
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