Affordable Casio alternatives to popular G-Shock watches

It’s our main mission to follow G-Shock, but we also appreciate other Casio watches. For the most part, Casio’s G-Shock is a premium brand which is priced accordingly, and it may not always be within a person’s budget. Even regardless of budget, some people may simply enjoy the satisfaction of buying highly functional products at low prices and may enjoy a variety of watches. Casio watches can provide tremendous value, and with Casio giving more attention to their basic and vintage lines recently, there are many alternatives to choose from.

When it comes to the more affordable Casio watches, there are usually some drawbacks in comparison to a G-Shock. They typically use resin (instead of mineral) glass. They may have an “auto-calendar” with 28 days for February and not a “full auto-calendar” with a year setting that takes leap years into account. Also, the quartz movement is less accurate at +/-30 seconds (or +/-20 for some analog models) per month instead of G-Shock’s +/-15 seconds. They do not have G-Shock’s standard of shock resistance and usually do not have 200-meter water resistance. But when it comes to functions and style, an affordable Casio watch can do an adequate job as a tool watch or even a fashionable one.

G-Shock DW5600 Alternative: Casio W218H

The very affordable W218H has the same octagonal shape inspired by the DW5600 (commonly described as “square” when referring to 5000-5600 models), along with a 1/100-second stopwatch, daily alarm, hourly time signal, and LED backlight. It was water-resistant to 50 meters and suitable for swimming. Like the DW5600, the W218H is available in a variety of colorways including some feminine ones. Band options include resin, cloth, and stainless steel.

MSRP: $22.95
Dimensions: 44.4 x 43.2 x 10.8 mm
Weight: 37 grams
Approximate Battery Life: 7 years with CR2016
W218H-1AV at Casio.com
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G-Shock DW6900 Alternative: Casio W219B

The W219B has a rounded shape like the DW6900 but in a slightly smaller case, and the light button is on the lower right instead of the front. It offers the same functions as the W218H above.

The W219B also looks great and outdoorsy with a cloth band, as seen with the W219HB-5AV ($29.95).

MSRP: $22.95 (W219H-1AV with resin band)
Dimensions: 48.1 x 47.1 x 13.9 mm
Weight: 40 grams
Approximate Life: 7 years with CR2016
W219H-1AV at Casio.com
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G-Shock GA2100 Alternative: Casio MW620H

It’s a little larger than the GA2100 and has front screws for a more industrial look, but the MW620H offers a rugged analog style with basic timekeeping including three hands. It also has an LED light that uses a separate battery from the movement, so you don’t have to worry about depleting the main battery if using the light a lot, which stays on for as long as the button is pressed.

MSRP: $35.95
Dimensions: 50.5 × 48.1 × 13.6 mm
Weight: 48 grams
Approximate Battery Life: 3 years on SR626SW for analog movement, 3 years on CR1616 for LED light (using 9 seconds of light per day)
MW620H-1AV at Casio.com
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G-Shock GA100 Alternative: Casio AQS810W-1AV

Although it has resin glass and a less accurate module than G-Shock, the popular AQS810W-1AV is otherwise quite full-featured and has a major advantage over the similarly shaped GA100. The watch has Tough Solar power including the power save function, which eliminates the hassle of having to change the battery every few years. Other notable features include 100-meter water resistance, world time, 1/100-second stopwatch, 2 countdown timers that can be used as interval timers that are repeatable up to ten times, 5 daily alarms, hourly time signal, LED light (for LCD display only), full auto-calendar, button tone on/off, and adjustable day-of-week language.

MSRP: $55.95
Dimensions: 52.2 x 48.3 x 13.7 mm
Weight: 40 grams
Approximate Battery Life: Solar Rechargeable
AQS810W-1AV at Casio.com
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G-Shock GD120 Alternative: Casio WS1500H

The WS1500H has a large case like the GD120 and does not look like a budget watch, although you may find the resin of the G-Shock to look and feel a bit more premium. The WS1500H offers better battery life of approximately 10 years and also has a moon phase graph and the unique fishing time function, which displays the best times to go fishing based on moon phase and location (longitude). Even if you don’t need that, the WS1500H is still a great-looking tool watch at a bargain price. Other features include 100-meter water resistance, dual time, 1/100-second stopwatch, 24-hour countdown timer with auto-repeat (settable in hours and minutes), 3 multi-function alarms with 1 snooze, LED backlight (1.5 or 3 seconds), button tone on/off, and full auto-calendar.

MSRP: $35.95
Dimensions: 54.5 x 50.1 x 16.8 mm
Weight: 58 grams
Approximate Battery Life: 10 Years
WS1500H-1AV at Casio.com
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G-Shock GX56 Alternative: Casio DW291H-9AV

Like the GX56, the DW291H has a large and rugged style. The retro-futuristic case might not appeal to everyone, but it certainly occupies a unique space in Casio’s lineup, much like the GX56. Though largish, the DW291H is not quite as large as the GX56, and those with smaller wrists may find it more accommodating. It’s not mud-resistant like the GX56, but it’s one of the closest Casio watches to being a G-Shock without being a G-Shock. As an “HD” model, the DW291H has mineral glass and 200-meter water resistance, and other notable features are world time with 4-city multi time, full auto-calendar, and a 10-year battery life. DW291HX (emphasis on the “HX”) models have a longer band with a compatible size of up to 235 millimeters versus 215 for standard DW291H models, which may be useful for wearing the watch over outerwear sleeves.

MSRP: $42.95
Dimensions: 50.5 x 50.4 x 13.5 mm
Weight: 63 grams
Approximate Battery Life: 10 years with CR2025
DW291H-9AV at Casio.com
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G-Shock GDB500 Alternative: Casio WSB1000-1AV

There’s a lot to like about the compact G-Shock GDB500 with step tracker and Bluetooth, but you can get most of the same functions and a similar style for about half the price with the WSB1000. Other than the lack of shock resistance, other shortcomings of the WSB1000 when compared to the GDB500 are the resin glass, 100-meter water resistance, no auto option for the light, and no low battery alert, but it otherwise has the same step tracking and Bluetooth functions, along with a full auto-calendar and the same accuracy as the G-Shock. The Bluetooth connection also offers the same functionality including automatic time adjustment, step count and 200-lap memory stopwatch data transfer, time & place log, auto summer time setting, and more.

MSRP: $55.95
Dimensions: 46.2 x 41.3 x 11.6 mm
Weight: 36 grams
Approximate Battery Life: 2 years with CR2016
WSB1000-1AV at Casio.com
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Casiotron TRN50 Alternative: Casio A171WE-1A

It’s not a G-Shock, but the Casiotron TRN50 is a special (and expensive) 2024 revival of the first-ever Casio wristwatch for its 50th Anniversary. Another retro-style metallic Casio watch with a similar round case shape is the Casio A171WE-1A, which is essentially a round version of the iconic A158. Unlike the TRN50 which has a full stainless steel case, the A171WE-1A has a chrome-plated resin case and stainless steel band. The multi-color accents on the face of the A171WE-1A give it more of a playful 1980s vibe than the 1970s styling of the TRN50. One weakness is that it only has a basic “water resistant” rating.

MSRP: $35.95
Dimensions: 38.8 x 37.7 x 9.2 mm
Weight: 46 grams
Approximate Battery Life: 7 years with CR2016
A171WE-1A at Casio.com
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