G-Shock GA-V01 has the innovative Shock Release Hand, a magnetically attached minute hand

G-Shock U.K. and Casio Australia now have the G-Shock GA-V01 series listed as an upcoming release. While we knew that the GA-V01 has the same functions as the GA-2100 but with an estimated 10-year battery life, the new marketing material from the U.K. and Australia explains that the watch has a new feature known as the “Shock Release Hand,” which refers to the minute hand being attached by magnetic force rather than directly fixed to the shaft. This allows the hand to shift out of position during hard impacts but eventually return to the correct position within a few minutes. Casio also states that this allows for larger hands and more flexibility in styling, and if customers respond positively to the GA-V01, we imagine that some future models or collaborations may have differently shaped hands.

It turns out that with the Shock Release Hand, the GA-V01 is also innovative in its design and functionality as well as its style, but it will probably never be known if the GA-V01 is actually more durable and shock-resistant compared to other analog-digital G-Shocks and to what degree. Another factor to consider is that due its very large size (49.1 x 58.2 x 19.6 mm), the GA-V01 may be more prone to taking harder impacts compared to other smaller and slimmer G-Shock watches.

Casio Australia has a dedicated page for the GA-V01 series outlining the key features, with a (longer) animated video showing how the Shock Release Hand works.

G-Shock GA-V01 Series at Casio Australia (casioau.com)

G-Shock GA-V01 at G-Shock U.K. (g-shock.co.uk)