GMW-B5000D-3 the steel G-Shock square adds a hint of green

What is new about the GMW-B5000D-3?

Very little under the skin, and that is the point. The GMW-B5000D-3ER is the full metal version of the original 1983 G-Shock square, the same steel case, bracelet and module as the long-running GMW-B5000D-1, with one change: colour. Casio describes it as a silver finish accented by a touch of fresh green, and the green sits as a frame around the display.

It follows the blue GMW-B5000D-2, which started the idea of a single colour accent on the plain steel square. The green model first appeared on Casio's US site in September 2024 and reached other markets, including the UK, from October 2024. It is still listed on Casio's UK site today.

It is worth being clear about what it is not. This is not the newer GMW-BZ5000, which has a redesigned case and a memory in pixel screen. The D-3 keeps the older STN LCD, so you are buying the established full metal square in a new colour, not the next generation.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Casio lists the case at 49.3 mm long, 43.2 mm wide and 13 mm thick. Those are almost the same outline numbers as a resin 5600, but the weight is not. At 167 g, it is more than three times the 51 g Casio lists for the resin GW-BX5600.

Time+Tide's Cameron Wong, writing about two months with the gold version of the same watch, found it wore smaller than its dimensions suggest and felt comfortable from the first day, though heavier than any G-Shock he had owned. The short case length helps it sit flat. The bracelet is solid stainless steel with a one-touch three-fold clasp.

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

It is a solar quartz digital with every timekeeping aid Casio offers at this level. Tough Solar charges the battery from any light. Casio quotes about 10 months of normal use on a full charge without light, or about 22 months in darkness with power saving on.

On its own the module is rated at plus or minus 15 seconds a month. In practice it should rarely drift that far, because Multiband 6 radio reception picks up time signals from six transmitters, including the UK's MSF. Bluetooth adds a second route: the CASIO WATCHES app adjusts the time and lets you set world time and alarms from a phone.

The functions are the familiar set: world time across 39 time zones, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, five daily alarms, an hourly signal, a backlight and a full auto calendar to 2099.

How well is it built?

The case, bezel and bracelet are stainless steel, and Casio rates it to 200 m of water resistance, so swimming and snorkelling are no concern. Casio's own history of the GMW-B5000 describes it as a project of new materials, construction and functions, built to keep the square's shock resistance in an all metal form.

The crystal is mineral glass, not sapphire. That is the main build compromise at this price. Fratello's Robert-Jan Broer praised the bracelet and the clasp's micro adjustment on the plain steel model, comparing it to older Rolex clasps, but warned that the polished surfaces near the bracelet would show scratches and fingerprints.

Is it good value against its rivals?

We have not found a brand RRP for this reference on Casio's UK site. The full price T.H. Baker lists for it is £499, which places it in the middle of the steel square range.

The closest rival is its own sibling. Notebookcheck reported the GMW-B5000D-1C, with red, yellow and blue accents borrowed from the 1983 original, on sale at Casio's UK store for £489. Choose between them on colour alone, because the specs are the same.

The bigger question is the new GMW-BZ5000D-1. Notebookcheck reported a UK RRP of £569 for it, about £70 more, for a redesigned case and a sharper MIP display. If screen legibility matters most, that is the one to look at. If you prefer the classic outline and want a little colour, the D-3 does the job for less. At the other end, a resin square like the GW-BX5600 has a far lower RRP and the same timekeeping, but not the steel.

What is the catch?

There are three. First, the screen is the older STN LCD, which is less sharp than the MIP panel in the newer model. Second, the glass is mineral, so it can scratch. Third, polished steel marks easily, and both independent writers cited here worried about it.

There is also the price itself. Broer noted that around €500 will shock anyone used to cheap digital Casios, and that has not changed. You are paying for steel, finishing and the full set of timekeeping features, not for extra function over a resin G-Shock.

This colourway is also fairly new for owner feedback, so the owner views below come from earlier steel squares with the same case and bracelet.

“The same steel square as before, with just enough green to tell it apart.”

What do owners say?

Themes from public owner feedback, paraphrased. We never copy Amazon reviews or ratings.

• Owners of the plain steel model praise the bracelet and its quick micro adjustment, but expect the polished surfaces to show scratches and fingerprints.

  Fratello (opens in a new tab)

• An owner of the gold version found it wears smaller than its size suggests and is comfortable from day one, but much heavier than resin G-Shocks.

  Time+Tide (opens in a new tab)