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Casio’s New G-SHOCK Is a Pokémon Nostalgia-Bomb

Amid a sea of serious chronos and anniversary reissues, can we just enjoy a fun watch?

By Andy Vasoyan Jun 28, 2026 5:30 PM

Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part — CASIO America / CASIO America

Let me save you the internal debate: you’re allowed to enjoy fun things!

Case in point? Casio’s new G-SHOCK, which shows up carrying 30 Pokémon across its design. The GA110PKM is a collab with The Pokémon Company, timed to the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026. You read that right; Pokémon came out in the year of our lord 1996.

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Given that we’ve had three decades of Pokémon lore since then, the references are all over the place.

The inset dial at 9 o’clock is styled like a Poké Ball, and the watch hands are shaped like Pikachu. The band has 30 Pokémon etched into it, running the gamut of starter trio picks from the Kanto through Paldea regions, plus Pikachu and Eevee, and a Mew hanging out on the band loop. The caseback gets a commemorative 30-year Pokémon logo.

Even the box plays along — it’s shaped like a Poké Ball, with all 30 creatures printed across the outer packaging.

Spec-wise, we have a standard G-SHOCK underneath, built on the chunky analog-digital GA110 model that’s been a staple for years. You get the usual: 200 meters of water resistance, world time, five alarms, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, and an LED light.

Let the Nostalgia Flow Through You

Consider the watch year we’ve had. Watches and Wonders 2026 gave us a 50th-anniversary Nautilus rationed to 1,000 units per model, the death of Rolex’s beloved “Pepsi” GMT, and a parade of five-figure chronographs. We’ve had 250th-anniversary American flag tributes and centenary reissues stacked to the ceiling. After all that, getting a relatively inexpensive Pikachu watch is a bit of fresh air.

Again, G-SHOCK landed in 1983, and Pokémon hit in 1996. If those dates line up somewhere in your life timeline, you can probably hear the Game Boy startup sound right now, so you’re exactly who this was built for.

On top of that, the price is right. At $270, this is just what a GA110 costs — no Pokémon tax, no scarcity markup. You’re buying a real G-SHOCK and the nostalgia comes along for free.

Where Can I Buy It?

Casio’s G-SHOCK x Pokémon watch isn’t out just yet. US pre-orders open July 1 at gshock.com, the G-SHOCK SoHo Store, and select jewelers, with the watch priced at $270 and a global release set for later in the month. If past G-SHOCK collabs are any guide, these tend to move fast — so the pre-order window is your best shot at paying retail.

Andy Vasoyan is a Chicago-based writer and audio editor. He has been fortunate to visit distilleries and breweries across the… Read Full Bio

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