What the G Shock GW-M5610u made me realize - Review

I tried hard to keep this watch. I love the G Shock but the G Shock doesn't love me. I've always been fascinated by the brand, more specifically by the form factor of the first design. Design wise, there is something unique and let's say perfect about the "squares". Compact yet rugged. It has its own way of being elegant, yet brutal and geometric. Some of us even consider this as "a peak in horological history", or "the perfect blend between form and function". Without going that far, we all can admit it is an icon that embodies almost by itself a certain idea of modernity. We all know and love the specs, the story... But.

But I've got a surprisingly small wrist. I'm 187 cm tall and yes, the circumference of my wrist is about 15.5 cm. My forearm looks pretty much like a bowling pin. So, on paper, the GW M5610U was a bit intimidating at first: 47mm by 43mm across and 13mm thick. By my standards at the time, it seemed huge but I chose to bet on the light weight and comfortable materials.

To be fair, it is an incredibly ingenious design visually. The case shape, on a distance, completely fools you, partly because of the integrated... Straps, and other small perspective tricks that have been employed around the bezel. Nobody will ever be able to guess the dimensions by seeing the watch. It was wearing pretty much like a 38/39 mm, all things considered. Right on the border for me, I thought, but still wearable.

The first problem was the fitting of the strap. Even if, from a practical standpoint, the length of the strap is justified, it was way to much for me to be worn on my bare wrist. The buckle wasn't centered and the end part of the strap that exceded the keeper was too long. I was not able to get a proper fitting : either too loose or too tight. And finally, the rubber was too stiff to my delicate taste. Life can be harsh ...

The first solution I found was to buy a Japanese two piece strap, the one you find on the GW B5000, and install this on my watch. It was fine, maybe a bit better than the stock one but... That wasn't night and day. It did the trick for a couple of months though, until I decided to go for a combi bracelet. There was a hype back then on those pricey bracelets. Well, for the record, there are two versions. The first has a textured patern on it, and you can find it stock on the GW-m5610ubc (the one with the negative screen), the second is closer to the design of the two piece strap (it is the one you find on the full black GW B5600).

After several long trials, only interrupted by a "dlc coated metal mod" attempt (severe deception: the lug to lug was literally crazy with that mod kit) I found the second superior both in design and comfort. Honestly, it couldn't have gone any further. That was the best possible compromise. But for us watch nerds, compromise is not an option isn't it ? Once you notice the slightest overhang, the tiniest bit of discomfort... On a watch that is supposed to be forgotten, purely useful. After that many trials, I obviously decided to sold it. Le ridicule ne tue pas as we use to say here. Well, thanks to me, someone had his killer ready made square g shock at a peaceful price.

The funny thing about all that m5610 obsession is that, after a detox break, I had regrets. I decided to set my mind differently about G Shock watches. They're large by design, so fuck the fitting problem. I went for a ga b2100 9, the yellow one, cause its summery vibes. It's laaaarge, but it looks fresh as it supposed to be. And, to take a revenge on squares, I get a nicely outdated DWE 5657, the black revival one with the extra rounded bezel. Even larger than the previous one. That's a lot of fun, I can swap the straps and all ... Am I pathetic?