Black case. Black strap. Black screen.

Every G-Shock is measured against the square. The DW-5600 case descends from Kikuo Ibe’s original 1983 design, and the proportions have barely moved: 48.9mm tall, 42.8mm wide, 13.4mm thick.

The four corner buttons, the raised bezel that shields the screen, and the integrated strap are all still there. The reason the shape has lasted is that nothing about it is decorative. Every bump is doing a job.

Module 3229 is the digital quartz engine. It carries a stopwatch, a countdown timer, a multi-function alarm with a flash alert, a 12/24-hour format and a Super Illuminator LED backlight. Casio rates the battery at about two years.

This reference is not solar and it does not sync to a radio signal. That is what keeps it at the bottom of the G-Shock price ladder. The GW-M5610U on this site is the same square with both of those added.

UBB is Casio’s code for the all-black version. The case and strap are matte black bio-based resin and the display is a dark-on-dark LCD, so the numerals sit low-contrast against the screen until you hit the backlight. Legibility takes a small hit and the watch disappears on the wrist, which is the point of buying this one over the standard model.

It is rated to 200m and it weighs 53 grams. Our figures come from Casio’s specification as recorded by G-Central and retailers, not from testing a watch ourselves.