Three decades after Kikuo Ibe’s amazing ‘unbreakable’ epiphany, G-SHOCK’s unrivalled reign at the summit continues. As fashion cycles spin out of control, trends come and go at warp speed. Attention spans are measured in microns. Longevity is an underrated modern virtue. Except at G-SHOCK, where Isaac Newton’s famous observation about gravity is not applicable – what goes up, stays up! G-SHOCK simply soldiers on, just like their tough watches.
When G-SHOCK launched in the early-80s, the watches were intended as utilitarian products. Mr Ibe created the DW-5000 specifically for outdoor adventurers and anyone who laboured in taxing conditions that put a watch under serious stress. Faced with marketing the new sub-label, Casio introduced Americans to the brand through a TV commercial that illustrated G-SHOCK’s credentials. Backed by the words of a dramatic commentator and sci-fi sound effects, an ice hockey player brutally clouts a puck strapped with a G-SHOCK into a goalie’s glove. Bang!The G-SHOCK is unscathed! Regular timepieces would have been obliterated the second they hit the ice, so this was a simple and effective way of demonstrating how tough the new DW-5000 was.
The modest black watch from Japan was a total sensation, but a little cynicism was understandable. How could something so cute be so tough? G-SHOCK went on a mission to prove to the people there was no smoke and mirrors at play. They embarked on a gruelling test regime, dropping the watch from helicopters and squashing them with garbage trucks in front of live audiences. Convinced the claims were legit, consumers embraced the brawny aesthetic and the DW-5000 was exported across the Pacific by the boatload.
By the late-80s, the brand really started to hit its stride on a global level. Comfortable with their new-found status as masters of fashion and not just function, the G-SHOCK design team’s commitment to experimentation resulted in a surge of new models. Exterior aesthetics were now actively considered. Circular watch faces and digital/analogue dual-time models offered a fresh look and feel, while the band and bezel colour palette broadened beyond basic black. Diversification was now the key. G-SHOCK Junior for kids proved so popular with girls that Casio were inspired to create Baby-G, a female-focused sub-brand that still thrives today.
BACK ON THE TECH GRIND
As the new decade dawned, G-SHOCK embarked on a binge of inspired creativity. In 1990 they released the DW-6000GJ-1, which featured a stopwatch capable of measuring 1/1000th of a second. A year later, the DW-6100 was blessed with a thermo-sensor that could detect and report temperature.
In 1993, the colossal Frogman arrived, loaded with water resistance that sent it deeper than 200 metres. That capability ensured the ‘Froggy’ would be a go-to watch for pro-divers, but its distinctive asymmetrical design also gave it a flavour that still tastes sweet today. The fabled ‘electro-luminescent’ backlight arrived in 1994, providing outrageous brightness for anyone accessing time in the dark, as well as a quirky capacity to carry images in the background. Whales, cartoon characters and pin-up girls from World War II fighter jets all found their way onto the new backlights, offering unprecedented options for product storytelling and customisation.
Moving into the next millennium, mobile phones with automatic time updating capabilities challenged all timepieces, but G-SHOCK responded with their new Multi-Band 6 tech. The functionality debuted on 2008’s Riseman release, enabling globetrotters to auto-update their clock courtesy of six transmitters around the world. For those who like to stay in the sky, the stunning Aviation Gravity Defier series debuted in 2010, while a year later the Mudman dropped for folks who do their dirty work on the ground.
In 2012, G-SHOCK carried out a major update of its shock-proof tech, with ‘Triple-G Resist’ becoming the new benchmark. Repeated torture tests carried out in Casio’s legendary Hamura facility confirmed that the new structure could withstand even more intense drop shocks, as well as centrifugal gravity and intense vibration.
Then, just to keep things rolling in threes, the Rangeman was released a year later with a Triple Sensor. This gave select timepieces the ability to accurately measure direction, atmospheric pressure/temperature and altitude. In 2014, G-SHOCK paired Multi-Band 6 with GPS on the Gravitymaster, forging the ‘Wave Ceptor’ hybrid updating system that delivered greater precision even in the most remote locations.
