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Unusual red ion-plated finish on G-Shock’s newest metal watch looks stunning

Casio caused quite a stir when it successfully reimagined its classic square G-Shock DW5000 watches in 2018, releasing the metal-bodied B5000 models in gold and stainless steel. Since then, these beautiful watches have been released in several colors, and even using other materials including titanium. Now, G-Shock has added a new model to the list — the B5000RD-4ER, resplendent in a stunning ion-plated red.

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The stainless steel case has been given an ion-plated finish, a process that increases durability, and it’s one which G-Shock has used on previous B5000 models. However, this is the first to come in a striking red. A hairline, brushed effect gives the bezel and clasp a style of its own, and is complemented by yellow text on the face. The negative digital display shows white characters on a black background and is covered in mineral glass.

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Casio has added Bluetooth to the B5000RD, so it connects to the G-Shock Connected app on your phone. Here it lets you quickly alter the world time, set the local time, and activate the stopwatch and alarm. There’s no mention of any additional features though, such as the interesting Self Check mode on the MTG-B2000. However, G-Shock’s app and Bluetooth connection have proven themselves to be reliable and useful, even without anything extra.

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To further ensure the time on the watch is correct the B5000RD has Multi-Band 6 support, where it grabs the exact local time when it syncs with Multi-Band transmitters placed around the world. Solar charging keeps the battery going even with these features, and there’s no need to charge the watch up separately. Once it’s fully charged, it’ll last 10 months without seeing the sun again.

It’s made from stainless steel and although it’s not an especially large G-Shock watch — the case measures 49mm wide — it is quite heavy at 167 grams. For comparison, a stainless steel Apple Watch Series 6 weighs 47 grams without the strap. It’s a G-Shock though, and the tough build means the watch is shockproof and water-resistant to 200 meters.

The G-Shock B5000RD-4ER will be available to buy from January 8. It’s priced at 499 British pounds and will be available through G-Shock’s online store. It has not arrived on G-Shock’s U.S. site yet, but it has previously been announced for Japan, suggesting it’ll be released internationally in the near future. Should it arrive, expect a price of between $500 and $600.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
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