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With a steel case and bracelet, the so-called "CasiOak" just got one big step closer to the luxury watch it was ironically named after.

G-Shock's so-called "CasiOak" is one of those modern watch-hype phenomena, and with a new premium version all clad in stainless steel, it's even more hype-worthy.

With an octagonal bezel, the GA2100 series reminded many of the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak — but an overall great, minimal design and slim case also helped it fly off virtual shelves when it was introduced in 2019. It's since become a modern G-Shock classic, and it just got one big step closer to the luxury watch it was ironically named after: a metal case and bracelet in place of the standard "resin" plastic offers a new, premium "CasiOak."

You might've seen it coming. Though G-Shock's success is built on tough, plastic-cased digital watches, it's been pushing more and more into the broader worlds of analog and metal. Predicated by the brand's historic MR-G line, nostalgic collectors who loved the original squarish 5000 or 5600 series were delighted by premium metal cased versions of it. Their popularity saw the likes of even higher-end titanium versions, and other lines like the famous 6900 series got a metal bezel treatment, too.

With the CasiOak's success, though, it was only a matter of time before the brand applied the same "Full Metal" formula to it. Many fans who already loved G-Shocks embraced metal for its more solid, serious and perhaps "mature" feel — as compared to plastic. The GA2100's design with analog hands and more traditional wristwatch shape offered a kind of gateway or crossover attraction for those who might not be as keen on the brand's often loud, brash and generally youthful persona. Steel doubles down on that appeal.

The metal construction, however, isn't the only upgrade. The GMB2100 includes the solar-charging (Tough Solar) and Bluetooth tech found in other metal G-Shocks. More functionality is also consistent with what you expect from the brand at this level, with more features than it's even practical to enumerate, from world time to countdown timers and more.

At launch, the GMB2100 comes in three variants of plain steel with polished and brushed surfaces as found on many luxury watches, as well as versions with black and rose gold ion plating. The plain steel version costs $550, while the black and rose gold models are $600 each, and all are available to preorder now. If they see the same success as other Full Metal G-Shocks, we can look forward to even more variations.