This Essential G-Shock Gets a Sunny Revamp for a Good Cause

At this point, we’ve gone past collaboration fatigue to collaboration fed-up. A lowercase “x” adjoining two disparate brands has lost all its meaning and often feels more like a desperate marketing reach than a cooperative effort at a better product.

However, every so often, a collaboration pops up that feels natural by bringing together brands with overlapping values that exist in the same space.

Take, for example, the G-Shock and Surfrider Foundation Japan G5600.

Casio

Surfriser is a non-profit organization with a global network working to keep coastlines and marine environments free of trash and contaminants.

Casio’s G-Shock, especially the affordable 5600 series, is a favorite among the surfing community and anyone who lives and works around the ocean.

It is a natural pairing between brands that are strongly interested in keeping the world’s coastal environments clean for habitation and recreation.

Casio

Along with placing the Surfrider Foundation Japan logo on the dial and etched into the caseback, this special edition G5600 is set apart by its marbled yellow bio-based resin case and strap, which are meant to represent a sunrise over the ocean.

The morning sunlight

Casio does more than most watchmakers to promote sustainability by using solar-powered quartz movements in most references, building cases to handle decades of hard use and employing renewable materials whenever possible.

Casio

Even though most G-Shock watches are very affordable, and fans tend to build illogically large collections, the brand stands behind the longevity of its product, which is at the heart of sustainable consumption in every field.

Casio’s bio-based resin is utilized for the sunrise yellow case and strap. This soft, durable, rubber-like substance predominantly consists of castor seed and corn extract. It is an alternative to the fossil fuel-based resins used in most affordable watches.

Casio

With a weight of only 47 grams, a 200m water resistance and a mineral glass dial, this G5600 is a perfect surfing watch. It has the full suite of G-Shock features, including five timezone presets, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, an alarm, a calendar and an LED dial backlight.

Clean up, clean up…

The Surfrider Foundation was founded in California in 1984 by a group of surfers who wanted to monitor and maintain the water quality in and around their favorite surf spots.

Casio

It has since grown to include chapters across the United States and 10 other countries, including a Japan chapter established in 1993 and officially incorporated with the government in 2011.

Each chapter collaborates with local businesses to raise awareness, promote sustainable practices and organize volunteer cleanups of coastal spaces, inland waterways and coastal waters.

Surfrider even functions as a non-profit NGO to lobby state and local governments to pass legislation protecting and repairing water quality and coastal environments.

Casio

The only bummer about this G-Shock x Surfrider Foundation Japan collaboration is that it does not financially support the foundation. It is just a branded product that you can buy to display your support for Surfrider and everything they do.

That said, it is also one of the better-looking options in the vast G5600 series.

Availability and pricing

The G-Shock Surfrider Foundation Japan G5600 SFJ-9 is available now from G-Shock.

Even though it is a special edition, it is not limited and should be readily available for some time.

Casio

G-Shock Surfrider Foundation Japan G5600

Specs

Case Size	43mm
Movement	Solar quartz
Water Resistance	200m

• $150 at Casio

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