Few watches are as iconic, durable, and slightly intimidating as a Casio G-Shock. Built to survive mud, shocks, water, and extreme environments, these watches also come packed with features—world time, alarms, countdown timers, atomic syncing, Bluetooth connectivity, and more. But with four (sometimes five) buttons and multiple modes, figuring out how to set the time can feel confusing at first. The good news? Once you understand the logic behind the buttons and combinations, setting your G-Shock becomes simple and even intuitive.
TLDR: To set the time on most G-Shock watches, hold the Adjust button to enter setting mode, use the Mode button to move between fields, and use the Forward or Reverse buttons to change values. While button positions vary slightly by model, the core process stays consistent across digital, analog-digital, and Bluetooth versions. Some newer models also support atomic or phone-based automatic time setting. Understanding your module type makes everything easier.
Most G-Shock watches follow a similar layout with four outer buttons:
Some models add a fifth button on the front for light or quick access functions.
While the labeling may vary slightly (for example, “Light” instead of “Adjust”), the function hierarchy stays the same across models. Once you understand the logic, it applies to most G-Shock families including:
Let’s start with the most common fully digital models like the DW-5600.
That’s it. For most classic G-Shock digital watches, this is the standard process.
Different G-Shock models use slight variations of these button combinations. Here are the five most common ways to set the time across the lineup:
This is the foundational method. You hold Adjust until the numbers flash. Then use Mode to navigate and Forward/Reverse to change values.
Best for: DW-5600, DW-9052, classic square models.
On models like the GA-100, you may need to:
This prevents accidental changes while in stopwatch or world time mode.
Analog-digital G-Shocks sometimes require additional steps to align physical hands with digital time.
You may need to:
This is especially useful if the hands were moved after impact or battery replacement.
Modern models like GBA-800 or GBD-series synchronize time through your smartphone.
To set time:
These watches update time automatically, including daylight savings and world time changes.
Premium models like the GXW series use Multiband 6 atomic signals.
To sync manually:
If signal strength is low, you can still manually adjust time using the standard Adjust procedure.
Analog-digital models add one extra layer: synchronizing the display and physical hands.
The typical process:
If the hands don’t match the digital time, it usually means the watch needs hand home position correction, which is common after battery replacement.
Even experienced G-Shock owners run into small issues. Here are the most frequent problems:
One helpful trick: if you’re stuck, pressing Mode repeatedly typically cycles you back to the main time screen without altering settings.
Most G-Shock watches allow easy toggling.
This is especially useful for travelers or military time users.
Modern G-Shocks come with built-in world time functionality.
To adjust home city:
Choosing the correct city ensures daylight savings and atomic sync (if available) work properly.
After battery replacement, your G-Shock will likely reset to factory default. That means:
Simply follow the standard time-setting steps for your model. For analog-digital versions, always check hand alignment afterward.
While procedures are similar, here are some quick differences:
DW Series (Classic Digital)
GA Series (Analog-Digital)
G-Steel Models
Rangeman / Mudmaster
Bluetooth / Smart G-Shock
At first glance, setting the time on a G-Shock can feel like cracking a code. But once you understand the logic—hold Adjust to enter, Mode to move, Forward/Reverse to change, Adjust to exit—everything falls into place.
Whether you own a classic square DW-5600, a rugged Mudmaster, or a Bluetooth-enabled G-Steel, the core philosophy remains the same. G-Shock watches are engineered for durability and reliability, and their time-setting system follows a consistent internal structure across models.
Take a few minutes to practice the button combinations on your specific version. After that, adjusting the time—whether for daylight savings, travel, or battery change—will take less than a minute.
And that’s exactly how a G-Shock should work: tough, functional, and ready for anything.