GM-5600YM-8 the steel-capped G-Shock square goes all silver

What is new about the GM-5600YM-8?

The GM-5600 is not new in itself. Casio first capped the DW-5600 with a stainless steel bezel in 2019, and SJX described it at the time as essentially a budget version of the Full Metal square, with a similar look for less than half the price. What is new is the Fine Metallic treatment. Casio released the series in Japan early in 2025, and Notebookcheck reported in February 2025 that four models were coming to the UK.

The GM-5600YM-8ER is the silver digital one, and the cheapest of the four. Instead of a black resin case and strap, it gets a silver case and a silicone strap with a metallic finish, so the whole watch reads as one tone. The display is inverted, with light figures on a dark background. Notebookcheck confirmed the UK launch later that month at an RRP of £229. A gold version, the GM-5600YMG-9ER, costs £259 and uses a standard positive display.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Casio lists the case at 49.6 x 43.2 x 12.9 mm and 76 g. That is the familiar 5600 footprint: short from top to bottom, so it sits neatly on most wrists even though 43.2 mm sounds large on paper. The steel bezel adds a little weight compared with an all-resin square, but 76 g is still light for a watch with metal on the front.

The strap is the more interesting part. Casio calls it a Tough Silicone band, and the metallic finish is meant to echo a steel bracelet while staying soft. A metal band cover sits where the strap meets the case. Casio says it fits wrists from 145 to 215 mm, which covers most adults. If you dislike shiny straps, though, this is not a subtle watch. The silver finish is the whole point.

What movement does it use, and how accurate is it?

It is battery quartz. Casio rates it at plus or minus 15 seconds a month and quotes about five years from a CR2016 cell. There is no Tough Solar, no Multi-Band 6 radio time sync and no Bluetooth, so you set it by hand and change the battery every few years.

The functions are the classic square set. You get a 1/100 second stopwatch with split times, a 24 hour countdown timer with auto repeat, a multi-function alarm, an hourly time signal, a full auto calendar to 2099 and a 12 or 24 hour format. Casio's flash alert can blink the light with the alarm, the hourly signal and the timer. The Super Illuminator LED backlight has an afterglow, which helps with the inverted display in the dark.

How well is it built?

The core is the usual G-Shock shock-resistant structure. Casio describes a fibre-reinforced resin case, a stainless steel bezel on top, mineral glass and 200 m water resistance. That makes it fine for swimming and rough use, at least as far as the module is concerned.

The weak point is cosmetic. Polished steel shows scratches far more readily than black resin. An owner review of the original GM-5600 on Fifth Wrist warned that the steel bezel will be scratched if you do not take care, and called it a beater that is afraid of a beating. The Fine Metallic version uses the same idea, so expect the same compromise.

Is it good value against its rivals?

Within Casio's own range, the obvious alternative is the G-Shock GW-BX5600 at an RRP of £159. It keeps the resin bezel, but adds a sharper MIP screen, solar charging, radio time sync and Bluetooth, for £70 less. If features matter more than finish, it is the better buy.

At the other end is the G-Shock Full Metal GMW-B5000D, at an RRP of £499. That gives you a steel case and bracelet, solar power and connectivity, but costs more than twice as much. The GM-5600YM-8 sits between them: it buys you the metal look rather than metal construction or extra features.

What is the catch?

The catch is the price for the module. £229 is a lot for a quartz square that does what a far cheaper DW-5600 does, and you pay mainly for the steel cap and the silver strap. The inverted display is also harder to read at an angle than a positive one, and the mineral glass is not sapphire.

If you want a G-Shock that looks at home with a shirt, and you like the idea of a five year battery you never think about, it makes sense. If you want the most capable square for the money, look at the solar models first.

“It buys you the metal look, not metal construction or extra features.”