G-Shock & Pro Trek / The rankings
The best G-Shock collabs: buy the base model, because that is what you are actually getting
A collaboration changes the bezel, the band, the dial print and the box. It never changes the module, the crystal or the water rating. So the useful question is not which collab is best — it is which watch is underneath.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-sheet researched, not worn by us
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Quick picks
The rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  G-Shock DW-5600E The square is the canvas: $99.95 list, 52 g, 200 m, a five-year cell and a full-dial EL backlight. Most collabs you have seen are this watch. | The most collaborated G-ShockReplaceable cell | 7.7 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 2 | G-Shock GA-2100 Carbon Core Guard, 11.8 mm, 51 g, 200 m, $110 list. The octagon Coca-Cola and C2H4 built on. | The modern collab canvasReplaceable cell | 7.6 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 3 | G-Shock GMW-B5000 (full metal square) Full stainless steel with Tough Solar, Multi-Band 6 and Bluetooth. Where the expensive limited editions live. | The premium collab baseSolar, no charger | 8.1 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 4 | G-Shock DW-6900 $99.95 list, the big EL-backlit display, 200 m. The FCRB and Midnight Organic base. | The three-eye canvasReplaceable cell | 7.7 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 5 | G-Shock GM-5600 (steel bezel square) A steel bezel on the resin square at 73 g, $220 list. C2H4 used this one in 2025. | The steel-bezel canvasReplaceable cell | 7.6 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, built from the makers' manuals, battery tables and spec pages, not field tests. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
What a collab actually changes
This page is going to be less exciting than the search that brought you here, and more useful. A G-Shock collaboration changes four things: the bezel color and print, the band, the dial or display face, and the packaging. It changes none of the following: the module, the crystal, the water rating, the shock resistance, the battery type, the stated battery life, or the case dimensions.
That is not a criticism. It is how the collabs work, and it is why they can exist at all — Casio ships a proven module in a new shell. But it means the honest way to shop is to identify the base model first, decide whether you want that watch, and then decide whether the artwork is worth the premium over it. A Thisisneverthat DW-5600 and a plain DW5600E-1V are the same watch with different resin.
The five base models, and what each one is
Read this table as "what you own when the hype wears off". All five are 200 m, shock resistant and mineral-crystal; list prices are G-Central's, read on the date in the Sources list.
| Base model | Why collabs use it | Power | Weight | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DW-5600 | The 1983 square: cheapest canvas, most recognizable shape | CR2016, approx. 5 years | 52 g | $99.95 |
| GA-2100 | The octagon: thin, modern, huge mainstream appeal | Two cells, approx. 3 years | 51 g | $110 |
| DW-6900 | The three-eye display: the most graphic dial Casio makes | CR2016, approx. 2 years (5 on module 3529) | 67 g | $99.95 |
| GM-5600 | Steel bezel on the square: a metal canvas at half the weight | CR2016, approx. 2 years (5 on module 3525) | 73 g | $220 |
| GMW-B5000 | Full metal: where the expensive limited editions go | Tough Solar, 10 months dark / 22 in power save | 167 g | $600 |
Note what is not on that list: no Rangeman, no Mudman, no Pro Trek. The sensor watches get the occasional collaboration — the Mudmaster GWG-B1000 has had a Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body edition — but the collab world lives almost entirely on the square and the octagon, because those are the shapes a graphic designer can work with. If you want sensors, you want a compass model and you will be buying it in black.
Collabs that have actually shipped recently
These are examples rather than recommendations, because availability changes weekly and we will not pretend otherwise. Everything here is documented by G-Central, the specialist Casio site, with its base model named:
- MoMA — a DW-5600, $135, limited to 1,000 pieces, sold through the museum's own shop. The purest version of the collab idea: a $99.95 watch, a design credit and a run number.
- Coca-Cola — the GA2100CC-3A, $200, a limited edition marking the drink brand's 140th anniversary. A $110 watch with a $90 badge.
- Thisisneverthat — the DW-5600TNT-7 at $155, a streetwear collaboration.
- C2H4 — a second limited edition on the GA-2100, following a GM-5600 collaboration the year before.
- F.C. Real Bristol, BlackEyePatch, Midnight Organic, Toyo Tires, NIGO, Mother, Pokémon — all on DW-5600, DW-6900 or GA-110 bases.
- Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body — the GWG-B1000TLC-1A Mudmaster, the rare case of a collaboration on a sensor watch.
Where limited editions are sold, and it is not Amazon
This is the practical part. Limited G-Shocks are sold through Casio's own US store, the partner's store (the MoMA shop, a streetwear retailer, a football club), and authorized G-Shock dealers — usually on an announced date, often within hours. Amazon listings for a sold-out collab are typically third-party resellers, at a markup, sometimes gray-market and occasionally counterfeit.
So: follow G-Central or Casio's own release calendar if you want a specific collaboration, and use the buy buttons on this page for the base model, which is always available and always the same watch underneath.
Is the premium worth it?
Sometimes, and you should know what you are paying. A MoMA DW-5600 at $135 is a $35 premium over the base watch for a numbered run and a design credit — that is a reasonable price for a design object. A Coca-Cola GA-2100 at $200 is a $90 premium on a $110 watch, which is most of the watch again.
On this site's rubric none of that premium buys anything: the crystal, the water rating, the cell life and the case are identical. What it buys is a bezel you like and a story. If that is worth the money to you, it is worth the money — just do not let anyone tell you the collab is tougher.
Resale, gray market and fakes
The decade pick
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 1
Stock photoThe most collaborated G-Shock
G-Shock DW-5600E
The square is the canvas: $99.95 list, 52 g, 200 m, a five-year cell and a full-dial EL backlight. Most collabs you have seen are this watch.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Replaceable cell. A replaceable coin cell measured in years. No charging, no electronics to update, and the cheapest thing on the watch to service. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | CR2016, approx. 5 years |
| Glass | Mineral |
| Bezel & case | Resin case and band |
| Water rating | 200 meters; shock resistant |
| Weight | 52 g |
| Size | 48.9 × 42.8 × 13.4 mm |
How the 7.7 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 8
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 6
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 10
- Field usability (15%)
- 6
- Value per decade (10%)
- 10
- Mission fit (5%)
- 6
What the spec sheet supports
- In production since 1987 with a module refresh in 2023; parts and straps will exist for the rest of your life.
- A five-year coin cell is the longest-stated battery on the site.
- Small enough for any wrist and any cuff.
Where it falls short
- Mineral crystal on a flat face with a low bezel; it scratches.
- No sensors, no solar, no radio time.
Skip this if…
…you want it to set itself; the GW-M5610U is the same square with solar and radio time.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock DW-5600E
Rank 2
Stock photoThe modern collab canvas
G-Shock GA-2100
Carbon Core Guard, 11.8 mm, 51 g, 200 m, $110 list. The octagon Coca-Cola and C2H4 built on.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Replaceable cell. A replaceable coin cell measured in years. No charging, no electronics to update, and the cheapest thing on the watch to service. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | SR726W × 2, approx. 3 years |
| Glass | Mineral |
| Bezel & case | Carbon Core Guard construction: carbon and resin case, resin band |
| Water rating | 200-meter water resistance |
| Sensors | None. World time (31 zones), 1/100-second stopwatch, timer, 5 alarms, Double LED light; module 5611 |
| Weight | 51 g |
| Size | 48.5 × 45.4 × 11.8 mm |
How the 7.6 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 7
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 7
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 9
- Field usability (15%)
- 7
- Value per decade (10%)
- 10
- Mission fit (5%)
- 5
What the spec sheet supports
- 11.8 mm and 51 g in a 200 m G-Shock: the least intrusive tough watch Casio makes.
- A carbon-reinforced case near the bottom of the price list.
- A three-year cell in a case any watch shop can open.
Where it falls short
- Analog hands over small digital windows: slower to read than a square.
- Mineral crystal on a flat face, and no solar, radio time or sensors.
- The Double LED lights the hands and the display; it is not a backlight that floods the dial.
Skip this if…
…you need to read the time at a glance in the dark; a DW-5600E EL backlight does that and this does not.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock GA-2100
Rank 3
Stock photoThe premium collab base
G-Shock GMW-B5000 (full metal square)
Full stainless steel with Tough Solar, Multi-Band 6 and Bluetooth. Where the expensive limited editions live.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Solar, no charger. A solar cell that recharges from any light and never meets a charger. The rechargeable cell is a watchmaker-replaceable part. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | 10 months with normal use and no light after a charge; 22 months stored in total darkness with power save on |
| Power | Tough Solar, solar rechargeable battery |
| Glass | Mineral on the stainless steel models; the titanium editions use sapphire |
| Bezel & case | Stainless steel case, bezel and band; screw-back case (titanium variants also sold) |
| Water rating | 200-meter water resistance, shock resistant |
| Sensors | None. Multi-Band 6 radio time calibration, Bluetooth Mobile Link, full auto LED light; module 3459 |
| Weight | 167 g in stainless steel; titanium variants approx. 104-106 g |
| Size | 49.3 × 43.2 × 13 mm |
How the 8.1 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 10
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 8
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 9
- Field usability (15%)
- 6
- Value per decade (10%)
- 6
- Mission fit (5%)
- 5
What the spec sheet supports
- Solar and atomic in a full stainless steel case: the square with nothing to charge and nothing to set.
- Twenty-two months of stated power-save running in total darkness, the longest dark figure of any square here.
- A screw-back steel case is the most serviceable construction Casio uses on a square.
Where it falls short
- 167 grams. This is more than three times the weight of a resin DW-5600E and you feel every gram of it.
- Mineral glass on the steel models; only the titanium editions get sapphire, at a much higher price.
- Steel scratches and shows it, where resin just goes matte.
Skip this if…
…you want the square to disappear on your wrist; the resin DW-5600E is 52 g and does the same job for a fraction of the money.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock GMW-B5000 (full metal square)
Rank 4
Stock photoThe three-eye canvas
G-Shock DW-6900
$99.95 list, the big EL-backlit display, 200 m. The FCRB and Midnight Organic base.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Replaceable cell. A replaceable coin cell measured in years. No charging, no electronics to update, and the cheapest thing on the watch to service. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | CR2016, approx. 2 years (module 3230); the 2023 module 3529 version is rated at approx. 5 years |
| Glass | Mineral |
| Bezel & case | Resin case, bezel and band |
| Water rating | 200-meter water resistance, shock resistant |
| Sensors | None. 1/100-second stopwatch, 24-hour countdown timer, multi-function alarm with flash alert, EL backlight; module 3230 |
| Weight | 67 g |
| Size | 53.2 × 50 × 18.7 mm |
How the 7.7 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 6
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 7
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 10
- Field usability (15%)
- 8
- Value per decade (10%)
- 10
- Mission fit (5%)
- 5
What the spec sheet supports
- The biggest, most readable display in the cheap tier, backlit across the whole dial.
- Once stated by Casio to be its best-selling model, so straps, bezels and modules are everywhere.
- The newer module 3529 version is rated at about five years on a cell instead of two.
Where it falls short
- 18.7 mm thick and 53.2 mm tall: the least wrist-friendly watch in the cheap tier.
- Mineral crystal, no solar, no sensors.
- Which module you get depends on the reference you buy, and the battery figure changes with it.
Skip this if…
…you have a slim wrist or wear cuffs; at 18.7 mm the 6900 case does not go under anything.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock DW-6900
Rank 5
Stock photoThe steel-bezel canvas
G-Shock GM-5600 (steel bezel square)
A steel bezel on the resin square at 73 g, $220 list. C2H4 used this one in 2025.
EvidenceResearched · not worn by us
| Power class | Replaceable cell. A replaceable coin cell measured in years. No charging, no electronics to update, and the cheapest thing on the watch to service. |
|---|---|
| Battery (cell) | CR2016, approx. 2 years (module 3229); the June 2023 module 3525 versions are rated at approx. 5 years |
| Glass | Mineral |
| Bezel & case | Stainless steel bezel on a resin case, resin band |
| Water rating | 200-meter water resistance, shock resistant |
| Sensors | None. 1/100-second stopwatch, timer, multi-function alarm, flash alert, EL backlight (LED on newer models); shares the DW-5600 module |
| Weight | 73 g |
| Size | 49.6 × 43.2 × 12.9 mm |
How the 7.6 score breaks down
- Battery & power independence (25%)
- 7
- Durability of materials (25%)
- 7
- Serviceability & lifespan (20%)
- 10
- Field usability (15%)
- 8
- Value per decade (10%)
- 6
- Mission fit (5%)
- 5
What the spec sheet supports
- The steel bezel at 73 g, less than half the weight of the full-metal square.
- It runs the DW-5600 module, so parts, straps and service knowledge are the deepest on the site.
- The newer module 3525 versions push the cell from about two years to about five.
Where it falls short
- No solar and no radio time at $220, which the $165 GW-M5610U both has.
- Mineral glass, and a steel bezel that scratches where resin would not.
- Which module you get depends on the reference, and the cell figure changes with it.
Skip this if…
…you want the watch to run on light and set itself; the GW-M5610U is cheaper and does both.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to G-Shock GM-5600 (steel bezel square)
How to buy a collab without regret
1. Identify the base model first. The reference tells you: DW5600, GA2100, DW6900, GM5600, GMWB5000. Then read that watch's specs, because those are the specs you are buying.
2. Work out the premium. Collab price minus base list price. If it is $35 for a numbered MoMA edition, fine. If it is most of the watch again, decide deliberately.
3. Buy on release, from Casio or the partner. Not from a third-party listing after the fact. The markup and the counterfeit risk both live there.
4. Accept that the resin is consumable. Straps and bezels fail on every G-Shock. A limited edition's resin is limited too, so plan on the watch eventually wearing standard parts.
5. If the function matters more than the print, spend the premium on solar instead. It is the one upgrade that changes how you own the watch.
How we scored this
Watches we claim to have worn or tested: 0
Plenty of sites say they took every watch up a mountain. We didn't, and we say so. What we do instead: read the maker's own battery table mode by mode, check what the lens and case are actually made of, note the water rating and whether a MIL-STD-810 claim exists, ask how long the maker keeps updating the line, and score every pick on a public rubric weighted for a decade of ownership. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not test results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best G-Shock collab?
The best-value ones are on the DW-5600 square, because that base watch is $99.95 with a five-year cell and a module in production since 1987, so the premium is all design. The MoMA DW-5600 at $135, limited to 1,000 pieces, is the clearest example. Availability changes weekly — check Casio or the partner's own store.
Are G-Shock collabs worth the extra money?
Only for the design. A collaboration changes the bezel, band, dial print and box and changes nothing about the module, crystal, water rating or battery life. You are paying for artwork on a watch you could buy plain, so price the premium against the base model's list price and decide from there.
Which G-Shock model do collabs use most?
The DW-5600 square, by a wide margin, followed by the GA-2100 octagon and the DW-6900. Those three are the cheapest, most recognizable and most graphic-friendly cases Casio makes. Sensor models like the Rangeman and Mudman almost never get collaborations.
Where do you buy a limited edition G-Shock?
From Casio's own store, the collaborating partner's store, or an authorized G-Shock dealer, usually on an announced release date. Third-party listings for sold-out editions are typically resellers at a markup and carry a counterfeit risk, which is why the buy links on this page point at the base models instead.
Do collab G-Shocks hold their value?
Some trade above list after selling out, which is a collector market rather than a watch market. We do not rank watches on resale — this site scores them on whether you can still be wearing the thing in a decade, and on that measure a collab scores exactly the same as the plain version of the same watch.
Keep reading
Related on Bezel & Bearing
Receipts
Sources
- G-Central — G-Shock collaboration releases (partners, base models, prices, limited-edition runs) (checked 2026-09-28)
- G-Central — G-Shock DW-5600 spec sheet (checked 2026-09-20)
- G-Central — G-Shock GA-2100 spec sheet (checked 2026-09-26)
- G-Central — G-Shock DW-6900 spec sheet (checked 2026-09-26)
- G-Central — G-Shock GM-5600 spec sheet and list price (checked 2026-09-28)
- G-Central — G-Shock GMW-B5000 spec sheet and list price (checked 2026-09-28)
- CasioFanMag — GMW-B5000, module 3459 battery operating times transcribed from Casio's operation guide (checked 2026-09-28)
- G-Central — G-Shock prices surge around 10% across its U.S. catalog (September 2025) (checked 2026-09-28)
We don't own or wear-test these watches and we don't pretend to. Battery, glass, case and water figures come from the maker's own owner's manuals, spec pages and press releases (linked on every product), and where a figure isn't published we say so. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Read the full method.