Borna Bosniak
There are very few things that watch fans almost universally agree on. But part of it is the fact that Casio’s G-Shock is just pure awesomeness. What makes this even more unusual is that this is an industrially produced digital quartz watch. This is a far cry from a gleaming mechanical wonder built by silver-haired craftsmen in a remote mountain in Switzerland. However, there is no denying that its influence extends beyond the watch industry and collecting circles. But if you take a closer look at what makes a G-Shock a G-Shock, you might understand why it has become a watch and pop culture following.
Pursuit of toughness
It was the early 1980s, and much of the watch world was still recovering from the effects of the quartz crisis. Many famous people have fallen, but many of those who survived achieved success with very little effort. However, Casio was not in that position. The inventors of the first electronic calculator entered the watch market with the launch of the Casiotron in 1974, and subsequent resin-cased successors skyrocketed the brand. Although quartz had many advantages, it was still in its infancy, and many of Casio’s early digital watches were just as fragile as mechanical watches. In fact, the latter’s inherent vulnerability led to the birth of the G-Shock.
The story goes like this. Kikuo Ibe was casually taking a walk when he collided with a pedestrian, and the mechanical watch he had inherited from his father fell to the ground and broke. As Zack found out in an interview with Eve, the three-hand calendar was made in Japan and unfortunately could not be repaired. To ameliorate this happening in the future, Mr. Ibe designed a product that is “triple ten” resistant, meaning it can withstand drops from a height of 10 meters, has a battery life of 10 years, and is water resistant to 10 ATM. We proposed a watch with this feature. To accomplish this, Ibe assembled a team of Casio engineers called Team Tough (a pretty cool team name, if you ask me) and began testing hundreds of prototypes starting in 1981. I started.
The result was the first ever G-Shock, the DW-5000C, in 1983. The now legendary internal rubber module was conceptualized to act like a bouncing ball, protecting the contents from impact. Encased in polyurethane foam, the “floating” module was protected by a total of 10 outer layers, including a rubber bumper, a steel inner case and caseback, and a mineral glass LCD cover. The buttons and straps are also over-engineered, with the former using elongated shafts to reach internal modules and the latter designed to provide cushioning in the event of a fall. Even compared to today’s G-Shock, its 200 meter water resistance and famous drop resistance still hold its own, surpassing its original Triple 10 target.
Testing and deprecation of beats
As with many products that have become iconic, good advertising was key. And just like today, it was never enough to spend big bucks on the latest and greatest technology for advertising, it needed to evoke emotion. When G-Shock entered the American market, the brand’s US-based marketing team was an absolute success in advertising. The original ad about a hockey player who lost his puck and decided to use the DW-5200C instead only played part of the story. Naturally, viewers were not particularly optimistic and claimed false advertising, which led to the creation of local TV channels such as “Fight Back!” David Horowitz and I tried the test ourselves. The watch passed with flying colors and the DW-5200C was given the nickname “Hero”. For watch geeks, that is the highest honor a person can receive.
This was the beginning of a meteoric rise that even G-Shock’s creators could not have predicted. Initially, Ibe created this watch for construction workers who needed durable, reliable parts that could withstand a day of impact drilling without any problems. In an interview with Monster Children, he recalled: “In the ’90s, I was riding the train somewhere and I saw young people wearing G-Shocks and I thought, ‘Oh my god, my watch is on their wrist.’ (…) And (I) looked at my wrist with the G-Shock and thought, “I shouldn’t wear this.” These are for young people. That’s why I took it off! ”
It’s clear that young Millennials saw in G-Shock the style potential that continues to this day. Soon requests for brightly colored G’s arrived on the wrists of baggy-pants-wearing skateboarders, and they eventually found their way into the mainstream pop culture spotlight through their music. But aside from its time on the wrists of Eminem and the Beastie Boys, the G-Shock has always had a unique ace within it that few other hot watches can match. It under-specced, over-delivered and always had high standards. Achievable price range. Sure, you could have splurged on some of the MR-G models released by the mid-1990s, but the reliable old 5600 was always there. Coincidentally, you can currently buy it for about the same price. I’m not saying the G-Shock DW-5600 is inflation-proof, but it’s certainly still a good value. But that’s not really a secret now, is it? Almost 20 years later, in 1998, Casio cataloged hundreds of G-Shock models and sold nearly 20 million units worldwide.
current G-shock
It would certainly be unfair to distill everything that falls under the G-Shock umbrella on some models. It’s impossible to cover everything in one article. However, the most important thing is that that strict spirit has not changed to this day. So no matter which G-Shock you choose, you can rest assured that it will meet (and often exceed) your original Triple 10 goals. Over time, Casio introduced incremental upgrades, such as integrating unique complications such as tide graphs and more widely available features such as radio tower time calibration.
In 2002, the G-5600 brought the first major upgrade to shockproof technology with a carbon fiber reinforced case and new metal reinforcement plates, all with solar charging support in the recognizable 5600 shape. The 2013 MTG-S1000 evolved this into a core guard structure, which became the Carbon Core Guard, now widely used in many G-Shocks (such as the 2024 Manga series CasiOaks mentioned above), and the Ibe and 5000C forms. We are continuing the tradition started by. The contents are packed.
2020’s obsession with collaborations is perfect for Casio to make the most of trends, such as an Ana-Digi model with a hilltop hood, two contrasting G-Shocks with Gorillaz, and even something we had a little bit of a hand in. It was an opportunity. There is no shortage of other limited editions as well. It’s not really surprising to hear that Casio sold 100 million G-Shocks in September 2017. Especially when you read our buying guide, G-Shock is a durable, affordable, and enthusiast-approved watch. Don’t just try to dress up.
Featured models
Unlike our deep dives into the Lange 1 and Rolex GMT, there are far too many G-Shock references to list all the notable models. Instead, we’ll list the models that have meant the most changes, or the first of the legendary models, starting with the first, of course. There’s not much more to say about the DW-5000C, but it’s no wonder new models sell for over $2,000 USD.
Ten years after the 5000C, Casio introduced the Frogman. Apart from its knobby design that continues to be loved by G-Shock fans today, the Frogman was the first G-Shock to receive ISO 6425 certification as a diver’s watch and was the origin of Casio’s Master of G collection.
Two years after Frogman, the DW-6900-1V was released. Alongside the Square G, I can confidently say that the 6900 is the brand’s most famous model. With front and center G-buttons to control the lights and three section sub-dials at the top, this design is unmistakably G-Shock and has been used as the canvas for numerous limited editions, as well as Also used in aftermarket gem settings. Kid Cudi, Pharrell, etc.
And if you’re sitting here reading this with G-Shock’s shiny full metal watch in hand, this is where it all started in 1996. The MRG-100 (also known as the DW-8900) was the beginning of the high-end MR-G. However, the design proved difficult given the structure of the metal case. Ibe and his team discovered that while the bezel itself is secured with four visible screws, the bezel is cushioned by top and bottom glass packaging and positioned independently from the rest of the structure. We have devised a system that will
Did you know I said the 5600 and 6900 are G-Shock’s most famous models? In a few decades, the 2019 CasiOak GA-2100 will continue to be as popular as it has been for the past six years. Well, maybe there’s something to be said about that. Released at a time when the one-piece bracelet craze was at its peak, people could easily envision a connection to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and people actually paid a hefty price for the popular GA-2100 colorway. I was paying money. These days, the hype has thankfully died down. However, if you want to get your hands on a specific limited edition like the aforementioned manga, you’re in luck.
And finally, as a little treat, we present to you a duo of truly special pieces. The Dream Project series celebrates G-Shock’s 35th and 40th anniversary with a unique 35-piece model in solid yellow gold. First prototyped at Baselworld 2015, it took Casio four years to finally bring out the first G-D5000-9JR, with 35 units selling out quickly at a price of $70,000. As a one-off, Casio has announced its AI-designed dream project #2, which shatters the record for the most expensive G-Shock ever. 400,500 USD.
