Hands-On: The G-SHOCK Nano DWN5600 Ring Watch

We’ve written lots of Hands-Ons here at Hodinkee. In fact, I assume that’s a large part of why many of you who are currently reading this come to the site. But this might just be the first time that we’ve written an On-Hands.

See, last December, Casio followed up its immensely successful Casio ring watch launches with an even more interesting proposition: a G-SHOCK ring watch. And just a few weeks ago, as I was shopping in the Lower East Side, I decided that it was time to add one to my collection in G-SHOCK’s iconic yellow, reference DWN5600-9. In an effort not to bury the lede, what makes the G-SHOCK Nano 5600 so specifically special is that, for all intents and purposes, it is not really any different from any other G-SHOCK despite being around one-tenth the size.

G-SHOCK’s entire brand has revolved around its extreme durability, with shock and water resistance a must for any watch bearing that iconic name. The G-SHOCK Nano 5600 is not just a small screen with a flimsy cosmetic shell that happens to resemble the iconic square silhouette — it’s shock-resistant like its big brothers, thanks to a similar internal mounting system for the miniaturized electronic module. And it continues G-SHOCK’s longstanding rule that all its watches are water-resistant to 200 meters. Yes, though I wouldn’t recommend it, you could take this tiny little thing into the ocean.

The exterior case of the DWN5600 is made of the same bio-based resin that most modern G-SHOCKs are made of today, with an internal core made of glass fiber-reinforced resin. This past launch offered three familiar colors: black, red, and yellow. Dimensions are, well, small. The case measures 20mm, with a lug-to-lug (or is it knuckle-to-knuckle?) of 23.4mm. Its height of 7.5mm means it’s surprisingly comfortable to wear on the finger, sticking out far less than I had initially imagined from photos. 

While previous full-metal Casio ring watches were one size only, with two plastic spacers for smaller finger sizes, the G-SHOCK DWN5600 has a tiny, scaled-down version of the standard strap, with a metal tang buckle and all, making it the most versatile ring across finger sizes. The strap ranges from 48mm at its closest hole to 82mm, meaning any finger with a circumference of 1.89″ to 3.23″ can pull this one off.

Even the caseback looks like the classic design, with four screws at the corners securing the back plate in (no screw-back, unfortunately, though I think it’s very understandable and much too niche for a release like this). When the two-year battery life has reached its end, the plate can be unscrewed and the battery replaced just like on other G-SHOCKs. Inside is the G-SHOCK 3592 module, which powers the teeny tiny digital LCD and provides way more functionality than you’ll realistically ever need on a ring. The left side of the case has two tiny buttons you can press with your fingernails for “MODE” and “ADJUST,” while the right side features one button for the miniature backlight. The backlight is quite weak, but having it there is better than nothing.

From a functionality perspective, in addition to telling the time, you can cycle through several complications with the “MODE” button: a second time zone, an alarm, and a stopwatch. Like the backlight itself, the alarm mode also represents a compromise in this tiny little timepiece. It is not an audible alarm, but rather just the backlight flashing at a designated time. In fact, Casio states that “Time Flash is intended for entertainment purposes.” Well, I am entertained, so mission accomplished.

On the wrist, er, finger, the DWN5600 is actually incredibly comfortable. Even though a G-SHOCK ring watch is one hundred percent a novelty gimmick, priced at $110, I was kind of amused by how wearable it was. Its lightness is evident, and the softness of the teensy resin strap is actually fantastic. Plus, if you find yourself on a day where you’ve had just a bit too much sodium, well, you can just move the buckle to the next hole.

Very few occasions call for a ring watch (especially if you’re already wearing a wristwatch), and, let’s be honest, outside the streetwear circuit, this thing is certainly not fashionable. But that just means the DWN5600 is begging for someone with enough confidence to buy one to wear completely unironically in public. But aside from all of that, what I absolutely love about the DWN5600 and what makes it a home run is that Casio managed to take a fun, trendy idea—the ring watch—and somehow actually committed this bit to the fullest extent.