Space fans, gather ’round. The newest NASA G-Shock is here, and it demands your attention with a bright orange rendition of the classic square G-Shock that’ll probably be visible from 62 miles up. Well, not quite, perhaps, but visibility was very much the purpose behind this color when NASA used it in its flight suits.
Known as international orange in the aerospace industry, it’s made to be easily distinguishable from their surroundings during rescue operations at sea — the same reasons a lot of life vests are a similar color. The Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) and earlier Launch Entry Suit (LES) are both colloquially called “pumpkin suits,” initially introduced in 1988.
Now, there’s a pumpkin G-Shock to match them, in the form of the square digital icon that might also trigger some nostalgia for any space geeks that remember or idealize that era. NASA branding, however, shouldn’t be interpreted to mean anything like astronauts are using these watches or that there’s an official relationship between the space agency and Casio, but rather that the brand applied for permission to use the logo — as many watchmakers have done.
NASA-branded limited-edition G-Shocks seem to be an emerging annual tradition. There was the DW5600NASA20 in 2020 and then the DW5600NASA21. This year, though, the GWM5610NASA4 changes things up with more than the color (and name). The previous models were built on the DW5600, the most basic current form of the G-Shock with its famous square case as established in 1983.
Based on the GWM5610 (sorry for all the reference numbers), this offers all the premium features you want in a G-Shock — and that, we’d argue, is worth paying a little more for. Those include Tough Solar (solar charging), Multi-Band 6 (timekeeping updated for accuracy by radio signals) and the addition of five daily alarms. Overall, it’s got a bit more serious vibe, seeming to lack the chintzy logo integrated into the screen when the light is activated, as on previous editions.
With those features and a positive LCD display, this is everything you want in a G-Shock. Well, it’s everything I want, anyway. And with that awesome color, I don’t even need the NASA branding, but that’ll be a cherry on the freeze-dried ice cream for many space fans.
Casio