Sat. Apr 25th, 2026

Casio Drops Heart-Rate G-Shock Built for Surfers


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Casio G-Shock G-LIDE GBX-H5600 Launch

Casio just gave its extreme-sports G-Shock line the upgrade fans have been waiting on. The new G-LIDE GBX-H5600  is the first watch in the G-LIDE family to ship with a built-in heart rate monitor, and it pairs that sensor with the tide and moon graphs that have defined the line for years. It’s a clean fit for a series that’s always lived at the intersection of action sports and rugged everyday wear.

Price: 44,000 yen (About $275)
Where to Buy: Casio

Casio confirmed two colorways at launch. The GBX-H5600-1 wears a translucent bezel over a solid black band, and the GBX-H5600-2 keeps the see-through top half but swaps in blue. Both share the same internals, so the choice comes down to whether you want your G-LIDE looking moody or beach-ready.

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What’s New for the G-LIDE Line

The headline addition is biometrics. Casio fitted the GBX-H5600 with an optical heart rate sensor and an accelerometer, the same combination it’s used on the DW-H5600 fitness models, and the brand says the two sensors work together to track how the wearer is performing in real time during a session. Polar Electro is supplying the algorithms behind the watch’s training insights, the same Finnish wearables specialist whose tech powers Casio’s DW-H5600 line, and a real signal that Casio wants the GBX-H5600 taken seriously as a fitness watch.

Casio G-Shock G-LIDE GBX-H5600 Casio G-Shock G-LIDE GBX-H5600 SpecsDedicated modes cover runs and walks, plus gym sessions and interval training, with results syncing to the CASIO WATCHES app for distance, calories burned, and sleep analysis. That’s a meaningful jump for a line that, until now, was about environmental data rather than what’s happening to the person wearing it.

The rest of the G-LIDE toolkit carries over and gets to share the spotlight. Tide graphs and moon-phase data still anchor the watch’s identity, and Casio kept the step counter that rounds out the daily-activity side. Smartphone Link connectivity is part of the package, which means the watch can sync with Casio’s companion app to log workouts and pull in expanded data.Casio G-S 4hock G-LIDE GBX-H5600

Visually, the see-through design is the headline. Casio’s product copy frames the translucent bezel as a G-LIDE classic, paired with a bio-based resin case and band that keep the watch light on the wrist while nodding to the brand’s sustainability push. A high-definition Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) LCD anchors the face, the same display tech Casio rolled out on the GW-BX5600 square, and it’s tuned to stay legible in direct sunlight at any viewing angle. The brand pitches it as one watch that takes you from working out to the rest of the day, which lines up with how G-LIDE has always been positioned: extreme-sports credentials with everyday-wear comfort.

GBX-H5600 Pricing and Availability

The GBX-H5600-1JR and GBX-H5600-2JR will hit Japan first. Casio confirms a May 2026 launch, with reports pointing to a May 15 on-sale date that Casio has yet to confirm specifically. Pricing lands at 44,000 yen including tax, which works out to roughly $275 USD at current conversion rates. That’s the same price Casio set for the DW-H5600 models, so the heart-rate-equipped G-LIDE doesn’t carry a premium for the new sensor package.Casio G-Shock G-LIDE GBX-H5600 4

A global release hasn’t been confirmed yet. Casio has yet to announce timing or pricing outside Japan, which is consistent with how G-Shock typically rolls out Japan-first models before expanding to international markets. International listings on Casio’s product pages already exist for both the GBX-H5600-1 and GBX-H5600-2, suggesting wider availability is on the roadmap, even if the official word is still pending.

For anyone tracking the broader G-Shock release calendar, the GBX-H5600 lands alongside the recently introduced GW-BX5600 square. Casio’s been busy this spring.

Who It’s For

This is a G-Shock for the people who actually use the tide graph. Surfers, paddlers, anyone whose workout depends on knowing when the water’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Adding heart rate monitoring to that profile is a logical move, since cardio data has become table stakes for sport watches at this price tier, and the G-LIDE crowd has been the obvious holdout in the G-Shock catalog.Casio G Shock G LIDE GBX H5600 Wrist

The inclusion of an accelerometer plus optical heart rate also opens the watch up to land-based training. Step counting was already there. Real-time heart rate during a run or a session at the gym now is too. Casio frames the GBX-H5600 as a daily-wear piece with extreme-sports DNA, and the expanded sensor suite makes the daily-wear half of that pitch easier to take literally.

Price: 44,000 yen (About $275)
Where to Buy: Casio

The see-through aesthetic will do its own work attracting buyers. G-Shock’s translucent runs have a strong following, and pairing the look with the first heart-rate-equipped G-LIDE is the kind of move that hits both the collector audience and the fitness-watch shopper. Casio doesn’t always thread that needle cleanly, but the GBX-H5600’s spec sheet reads like it’s trying to.

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