red line casio g-shock dw6900rl is just cool

Casio has their hits and misses with G-SHOCK watches. Generally speaking, I like them, but many don't do much for me as to how they look.

This one, however, really nails it.

Above is a Casio G-SHOCK DW6900RL-1 "Original Colors". And I'm assuming RL means Red Line, because seriously, what else could it possibly mean?

I have never owned the classic DW6900, but this one might win me over and I may get this for myself.

Is there anything new and fancy about this DW6900? No. It's the same old school tough watch that Casio has kept in production for years, which is exactly the way I like it. Casio takes risks sometimes, but they also know when not to ruin a good thing.

The change of the G-SHOCK text at top from red to white and the addition of the red border line may be subtle, but wow does it work well. That thin red line breaks up all the surrounding black very nicely. This is what a proper tough sport watch is supposed to look like. Wear it while doing yard work or swimming or on the golf course or wherever.

So I just described a total hit of a G-SHOCK, so what would I consider a miss? The Casio G-SHOCK MRGB5000R. That's a luxury G-SHOCK with a case and bezel of titanium alloy (some material called Cobarion that's claimed to be 4x harder than pure titanium). It also has a gold plated circuit board retainer, black DLC coating, and a ridiculously comfortable "Dura Soft" strap with the mold containing some titanium in it to ensure superior longevity. Yes, Casio went all out with the titanium on this G-SHOCK.

The MRGB5000 also has atomic timekeeping and can be paired to a smartphone using Bluetooth, because of course it can.

But is that super ultra G-SHOCK as cool as the red line DW6900RL? I don't think so. True, the DW6900 doesn't have materials anywhere close to the luxury level of the MRGB5000R, but strictly speaking from a style aesthetic, I just like the DW6900RL better.

It's not that the MRGB5000R looks bad, because it doesn't. As far as luxury G-SHOCK watches go, that's top tier stuff. I consider it a miss because DW6900RL just pops better.

If you can afford the MRGB5000R, get the DW6900RL also. But don't be surprised if it's the DW6900RL you wear more often.

Published 2025 Jul 15