G-Shock x Coca-Cola GA-2100CC-3A review: This watch made me forget about smartwatches

In a year where almost every wearable on the market is desperately trying to be an AI assistant, a fitness coach, or a second smartphone, G-Shock has collaborated with Coca-Cola to create something refreshingly simple. The GA-2100CC-3A doesn’t track your heart rate, analyse your sleep or tell you how stressed you are. Instead, it strips things back to what makes a traditional watch appealing in the first place: distinctive design, durability and a bit of personality.

I spent a few weeks with this 140th-anniversary collaboration piece, and here’s my two bits on whether it’s a genuine collector’s item or just an overpriced branding exercise.

Inside the box:

Inside the box of the GA-2100CC-3A, you get the watch, the usual warranty cards, and the standard manual. However, this G-Shock begins the surprises right from the box by bringing this watch in an exclusive commemorative box modelled after a vintage Coca-Cola vending machine. From the exterior to the interior of the box, you are constantly reminded about the Coca-Cola partnership, which does make unboxing it a special experience, especially for a G-Shock fanboy or fangirl.

Design and wearability:

The GA-2100 has become one of G-Shock’s most recognisable designs, and it is easy to see why Casio chose it for this collaboration.

In terms of the actual design, the watch comes with a thickness of around 11.8mm and weighs just 51g. It uses a Carbon Core Guard construction that has allowed Casio to keep the watch slimmer without sacrificing its shock-resistant build quality.

The bezel and strap of the watch use a green shade inspired by the iconic Coca-Cola contour bottle. Meanwhile, the dial uses red and other Coca-Cola-inspired tones.

The resin strap on the watch seems durable and is lightweight enough that it doesn’t interfere with your day-to-day activities.

I have always struggled with wearing anything on my wrist for long periods. Watches, fitness bands and even rings tend to leave my skin itchy and irritated after a few hours. So I was genuinely surprised by the GA-2100. I wore it continuously for more than 10 days during a recent trek, including through some fairly long days, and didn’t experience any irritation. That’s obviously a very personal observation, but given how rarely I can wear a watch continuously, it was one of the things I appreciated most about the GA-2100.

Coca-Cola partnership:

The highlight of this watch is the partnership with Coca-Cola, and there are plenty of Easter eggs to find here for a collector.

For starters, the day indicator on the watch at 9 o’clock is shaped like a Coke bottle. The dial, meanwhile, comes with subtle bubble-like patterns to remind you of the fizz of Coca-Cola, and the red accents on the hour markers are perhaps an ode to the classic bottle caps of Coca-Cola.

If that’s not enough for you, even the back case of the watch comes with Coca-Cola branding in the shape of the classic bottle cap.

Functionality and durability:

As mentioned earlier, the GA-2100CC-3A uses Casio’s Carbon Core Guard structure and is shock-resistant. It is also rated for up to 200-metre water resistance, meaning you can easily take it with you for your showers, swimming sessions and even adventure activities.

The watch comes with support for setting time across 31 time zones. There is also the option to set a stopwatch to 1/100-second and a 24-hour countdown timer, along with the ability to set up to five daily alarms. There is also a digital display in the right-hand-side corner if you want to move away from the analogue experience.

The GA-2100CC-3A packs a double LED light with lighting for both the analogue face and digital display. However, I feel the light doesn’t stay on for very long, which means you are sometimes stuck pressing the light button a few times in order to see the time during the night.

However, there are some clear trade-offs that G-Shock has made here. For instance, there is no Bluetooth connectivity on this watch, which is present even on some of Casio’s other lower-priced variants like the GA-B2100.

In case you aren’t aware, the Bluetooth connectivity allows users to connect to the Casio Watches app to automatically sync time four times a day, track steps and adjust time according to where you are in the world.

Similarly, the GA-2100CC-3A does not come with support for Tough Solar charging and instead runs on two SR726W batteries that are said to last around three years.

Verdict:

At a price of around ₹15,000, the G-Shock x Coca-Cola GA-2100CC-3A offers surprisingly good value for a limited-edition collaboration. In fact, the watch has also constantly been out of stock on the Casio website ever since its debut earlier this year.

This is perhaps because G-Shock has done more than simply add a Coca-Cola logo to an existing watch. The bottle-green colourway, bubble-inspired dial, fluted bottle details, bottle-cap case-back engraving and special packaging all contribute to making this feel like a genuine Coca-Cola edition.

There are obviously some compromises with the lack of Bluetooth and Tough Solar charging. However, if you’re a Coca-Cola fan or simply want a G-Shock that stands out from the sea of black resin watches, the GA-2100CC-3A is perhaps an easy one to recommend.