Casio G-Shock GMA-S160-7A — the full G-Shock rating at 31 grams, at $145

Photo: Casio

Casio cut the function list, not the rating: shock resistance and 200 metres survive intact in a 40.7mm case that weighs 31 grams.

Verdict

What it is

Start with what Casio took away. No Tough Solar, no Bluetooth, no countdown timer, no alarms — the GMA-S160's function list is cut down to dual time, a one-second stopwatch, hand-shift and a double LED light. What the cutting bought is the figure at the end of the spec sheet: 31 grams, in a case measuring 40.7 × 35.7 × 10.8mm. This is the compact end of the S-series, and the white -7A is the featured colourway of three — the others are the black -1B and the navy -2B.

What did not get cut is the structure. The rating is the full one: shock resistance and 200-metre water resistance, behind mineral glass, in a case and band of resin and bio-based resin. The finish is matte outside with a metallic dial, the metallic accents repeated on the buckle and the band loop — Casio's gently curved bezel and band drawn as one soft shape, the angular case's edges softened. Casio positions it as slimmer and more compact than the GMA-P2100, and its own figures back that: 46 × 40.2 × 11.2mm and 40g for the P2100, against 31g here.

The movement is module 5759, battery-powered — a CR1025, good for roughly three years on Casio's figures — with a full auto-calendar running to 2099 and Neobrite on the hands. Nothing about the watch pretends to be limited, numbered or hard to get. It is a catalogue piece, announced through the brand's own store, and the copy here treats it as one.

Why it matters

The interesting question about the GMA-S160 is arithmetic. G-Shock's reputation rests on a structural promise — shock resistance and a 200-metre rating — and that promise is usually delivered in cases that announce their bulk. Here the same promise arrives at 31 grams, in the smallest case the S-series draws. Whether that trade — functions surrendered, structure kept — is the right one is a genuine judgement call, and ours is that it is: a watch worn daily is worn by weight before it is worn by feature list. As a measuring stick for every oversized tool watch launched this year, the spec per gram is hard to argue with.

Specs

What to check before buying

• The absences are deliberate. No solar charging, no Bluetooth, no timer, no alarms. If your G-Shock brief needs any of those, this is the wrong S-series model — the cutting is the design.
• It is a small watch, by G-Shock standards. 40.7mm across and 31g reads compact on the wrist; that is the point, but it is worth knowing before it arrives.
• The featured colourway is the white. The -7A shown here is one of three references; the black -1B and navy -2B carry the same specification at the same price.

Price record

Want one?

1. In the shop: browse current stock — one-off pieces, and they turn over fast.
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3. This one: at the source — See it at Casio. Not our listing. See Disclosure.

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• Vaer × Topo × Worn & Wound Solar Hiker Kit — the solar field watch as a kit, at $379

Spotted, not sold by us — this watch lives at Casio's own store. Prices are a snapshot from when we spotted it. Disclosure

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Shop the pick

Casio G-Shock GMA-S160-7A — white

$145 — Casio US store, checked Tue Nov 10, 2026

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See it at Casio