The History of the Casio G-Shock

Born of a desire to create a watch that never breaks, Casio G-Shock is revered by many as “the toughest watch on the planet.” But it’s much more than that. G-Shock is widely respected, avidly collected and beloved by everyone from Navy SEALs to skaters to tree-hugging tech nerds. It’s a watch that gave new meaning to the word “durable.” But where did it come from? Let’s go back to the beginning.

The Genesis of G-Shock

When G-Shock development began in 1981, Casio’s head of watch design was engineer Kikuo Ibe. The parable that gave birth to the idea of G-Shock is now legendary: it was dropping his mechanical watch, a family heirloom, and watching it shatter on the ground that inspired Ibe to make a watch that would at least survive the rigors of daily life.

Ibe pulled together a project team of just three members and called them “Team Tough.” There were really only three design criteria — the so-called triple ten — for the watch he had in mind: withstand a 10-meter drop, withstand 10 atmospheres of water pressure, and have a battery life of 10 years. It would take over two years to release the first G-Shock, the DW-5000C. Ibe and his team had to work through some serious difficulties on the way.

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As the number of prototypes passed 200, Team Tough was still far from the design solution they sought. Then, on a chance visit to a playground (another G-Shock creation legend), Ibe got his next stroke of inspiration: a bouncing rubber ball. Ibe finally visualized the shock-resisting system that forms the basis of all G-Shock watches. He reasoned that the center of the ball doesn’t suffer the shock that the exterior does. He and his team set out to design a watch to resist shocks in a similar way.

How G-Shock Cases Resist Shocks

The case of the G-shock is hollow and the timekeeping module is supported with soft gel cushioning material at only a few key points within. In addition, vital parts of the module itself are protected from impact with additional cushioning material.

The watch wasn’t meant to be unbreakable regardless of how far it fell. It was built to remain working after any fall the wearer could survive.

Protruding points on the case and bezel are made of urethane and protect the buttons and glass from impacts from any direction; even the strap is specially designed to aid in isolating the watch from impacts. All of these features help protect G-Shock watches from concussions, high G-forces (such as from auto or air racing) and heavy vibrations.

As for the name of the watch, Ibe said the “G” referred to the shock of a fall. A human being might be subjected to many shocks from many different situations (sports, fights, etc.), but Ibe thought a fall would be the toughest thing a person might endure and still live. The watch wasn’t meant to be unbreakable regardless of how far it fell. Rather, the intent was that the watch would remain working after any fall the wearer could survive.

The Evolution of G-Shock Style and Tech

The resulting watch, with its peculiar aesthetic and stubborn toughness, blossomed into an immensely popular line with a unique blend of followers, from the utilitarian-focused (military members, adventurers, extreme sports athletes) to the street-cred-centric (hip hop artists, street style aficionados). And there have been numerous milestones over the four decades of the G-Shock’s history.

The first analogue/digital model appeared in 1989. In 1993 the first true diver’s watch, the Frogman DW-6300, with 20 atmosphere water resistance, was released. The first titanium model, the Frogman DW-8200, came along in 1995.

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The year 2000 brought us the GW-100, the first radio-controlled G-Shock, capable of receiving calibration signals from one of six worldwide locations for more accurate timekeeping. Other features have appeared over the years: resistance to low temperatures and dirt and mud, as well as built-in temperature and pressure sensors.

Tech like Bluetooth and heart-rate monitors are more recent and make G-Shock a contender in the smartwatch and fitness-tracker wars. You can get now get high-end G-Shocks made of metal and materials like sapphire crystal — even models incorporating traditional Japanese handicrafts and high-level finishing the likes of which you’d expect from Swiss luxury watches.

In fact, numerous models in multiple series are released each year, with basic models receiving updates every spring and fall. It’s virtually impossible to keep track of them all, even for the brand’s most passionate collectors. This shows just how popular G-Shock is around the world. In 2017, G-Shock announced it had sold its 100 millionth watch since that first unit hit the sales floor in 1983.

G-Shock Collecting

Despite the dizzying array of models and the brand’s constant willingness to experiment, iterate and get funky, certain models have become iconic. There’s the original squarish form in the 5600 and the police/military favorite 6900 series with its giant “G” button. Then there’s the Frogman dive watch and the more recent CasiOak (2100 series), an ana-digi hype phenomenon.

Collectors will seek out the likes of special editions or collaborations (there are many) and those produced in Japan. The high-end models in the MT-G and MR-G lines represent the brand dipping its toe in the luxury space, and it finds fans that grew up loving G-Shock and now have the funds to indulge their nostalgia.

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But G-Shock collecting can still be a relatively fun and casual pursuit. Much of the collection costs under $200, and for that money you can get the full G-Shock experience with desirable features like solar charging (Tough Solar), atomic timekeeping (Multiband 6) and more. If it’s just a colorful accessory you’re after, basic models can often be had for less than $100.

Through it all, G-Shock has been a consistent favorite of the military, law enforcement, first responders, athletes, outdoorsmen and hip-hop artists the world over. Seldom has one watch (particularly one so “ugly”) had such broad appeal. It is one of those rare products that transcends its category to become a cultural phenomenon. In fact, the durability of the G-Shock itself may only be exceeded by the durability of its appeal.

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