G-Shock GMC-B2100ZE-1A officially announced: Should you buy the black and gold ‘Zero To One’ chronograph?

The GMC-B2100ZE-1A is the second limited edition G-Shock watch released as part of a Casio Watch 50th Anniversary series in 2024. It is a made-in-Japan, full stainless steel model with a black ion plating and gold dial accents, with features including shock resistance, 200-meter water resistance, Tough Solar power, Bluetooth smartphone link, dual time, stopwatch, timer, alarm, automatic calendar, and LED light. As many fans are already familiar with the GMC-B2100 series and probably even this heavily leaked model, we’ll focus on some reasons why you might want to buy this watch or not as we get closer to release.

Price Info: The GMC-B2100ZE-1AJR is now available for pre-ordering in Japan with a tax-included price of 121,000 yen, and it is also listed for an October release in Asia with a price of S$1,099 in Singapore. The GMCB2100ZE1A is expected to be released in the U.S. soon for $930. (In comparison, the two silver GMCB2100 models are $800 each.) G-Shock U.K. has the GMC-B2100ZE-1AER listed as coming soon for £869.

Reasons To Buy

It’s a limited edition.

Casio did not announce the production amount of the GMC-B2100ZE-1A, but it is a limited edition and we expect it to sell out eventually. The increase in price over the standard silver GMC-B2100 releases is not so high as to be a dealbreaker, and this is arguably the nicest black and gold watch that G-Shock has ever released. It is also expected to be the last Casio Watch 50th Anniversary release for G-Shock. Some of the exclusive elements include a gold ion-plated upper band link with a “50th Anniversary” engraving. The case back has an anniversary design that differs from the TRN-50ZE-1A as it doesn’t have the ring of “0” and “1” digits and instead has a ring of squares, but there is a faint “0” and “1” ring that is printed around the dial, which is more visible upon closer inspection.

The black and gold color scheme is unique and special to G-Shock.

Although the theme of this limited Casio Watch 50th Anniversary series is the thrill of going from “Zero To One” (or making something from nothing), the black and gold color scheme is a very significant one for G-Shock. While black and red are often noted as the brand’s signature colors, black and gold is another signature combination, as the first-ever G-Shock series was released with the black and red DW-5000C-1A and the black and gold DW-5000C-1B. Over the years, there have been many popular black and gold G-Shock models, and Casio has often released black and gold limited editions during G-Shock anniversary celebrations. The previous GMW-B5000SS-2 50th Anniversary limited edition was unique and beautiful in its own right, but the black and gold colors of the GMC-B2100ZE-1A have more of a historical significance and connection to G-Shock.

As the GMC-B2100 series is more expensive than the GM-B2100, it’s possible that new colorways will not be released at the same rate, so you might be waiting for a while if your plan is to wait for a model that you might like more.

There is a lack of options for this colorway in the same price range.

There aren’t many higher-end ($500+) analog G-Shock watches in black and gold that are very similar to this. There was the MTG-B3000BDE-1A from 2022 which is perhaps the closest, also full analog, ion-plated, and a limited edition, but with a sapphire crystal and Multi-Band 6, but that model is now sold out. There is the more recent MTG-B3000CXD-9A Year of the Dragon edition, but that is more gold than black and gold and has a resin band. Other alternatives are the gold ion-plated GM-B2100GD-9A which is more like straight up gold with a black dial, and the mostly black MRG-B1000B-1A with a gold ring around the dial. Another model in black and gold is the GST-B500BD-1A9 ($380 in the U.S.), but the GMC-B2100ZE-1A is clearly on another level.

Reasons Not To Buy

It’s not DLC-coated.

The black color of the watch is a result of an ion-plated finish on the stainless steel bezel and band, which is the standard method for coloring stainless steel parts on most G-Shock watches. Most top-of-the-line MR-G watches like the MRG-B2100B-1A have a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating, which is more scratch-resistant and durable. While it would have been better, a DLC coating would have probably made the GMC-B2100ZE-1A a lot more expensive. Although G-Shock has released some GMW-B5000 models with a DLC coating, it hasn’t done so with any GM-B2100 models yet, so we’re not expecting it for the GMC-B2100. An ion plating might not be an issue if the watch is used mainly as a fashion piece, but it’s something to consider if it’s going to do double duty for outdoor activities. While a naked stainless steel watch is also susceptible to scratches, such scratches might not be as noticeable compared to those on an ion-plated finish.

Maybe other black and gold full metal 2100 models are coming.

G-Shock typically doesn’t end up releasing non-limited models that strongly resemble previous limited editions within the same series, so we’re not expecting another black and gold GMC-B2100 like this down the line. Maybe we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a black and gold GM-B2100 or MRG-B2100 in the future (both of which may fit smaller wrists better), but the release of G-Shock colorways is unpredictable and we have no way of knowing if or when that will happen.

Should You Buy It?

Only you can answer that, but we do recommend viewing the watch, or at least other GMC-B2100 models, at a store in person before making a decision.

View GMC-B2100ZE-1A at casio.com/intl