G-Shock Finally Made Affordable Movie Tie-in Watches That Don’t Suck

With an almost complete absence of ugly co-branding, these timepieces let the subtlety of their colorways do the talking.

G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four Watch dial closeupG-Shock

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Movie tie-in watches have been a thing for decades. The very first was the Hamilton Frogman. Originally created for the U.S. Navy, this watch was heavily featured in the 1951 film The Frogmen. Since then, dozens of brands, big and small, have gotten in on the action.

While some — including another Hamilton, Interstellar‘s Murph — are big hits, many contemporary attempts have been major flops (especially on the budget-friendly side, where cheapness often reigns supreme). These watches frequently rely on cheesy or corny over-branding, making the timepieces seem more like lazy cash grabs than anything worth wearing.

G-Shock is no stranger to this concept, having crafted a ton of tie-in and collaboration timepieces. Nor is G-Shock a stranger to making divisive, even ugly watches (sorry, loyalists, but it’s true). But the brand’s latest entry, the G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four watch collection, is — dare I say — actually really solid.

G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four Watch on top of blueprints
All four watches in the collection feature the same blue-on-white colorway, including this take on the CasiOak.
G-Shock

It’s clobberin’ time

Created as a tie-in for Marvel’s upcoming flick, Fantastic Four: First Steps, the collection includes four watches (which makes sense, even if it’s a little too on-the-nose). Like their uniformed inspiration, all four watches share a consistent motif.

The cases and straps are white, while some of the detailing, especially on the dials, is a cobalt blue. Essentially, these colorways are the inverse of the titular team’s signature outfits.

G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four Watch on fabric in front of blueprints
For those who prefer their G-Shocks to be as chunky as possible, there’s the GA-700HDS-7AER-F4.
G-Shock

But what’s more important is what isn’t there. There’s no big, gaudy Fantastic Four logo or a distracting Marvel insignia marring these watches. In fact, if you didn’t know they were Fantastic Four watches from the outset, you might not be able to tell at all.

That’s an excellent thing, as it lets the colorway do the talking and makes these watches much more than just a cash grab. It elevates them beyond merchandising and makes them genuine style pieces that are wearable daily.

G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four Watch glow feature
All four watches feature retro glow-in-the-dark detailing on their dials.
G-Shock

A Fantastic attention to detail

As mentioned, there are four watches in the collection: the GA-2100HDS-7AER-F4 (also known as the CasiOak), the GA-110HDS-7AER-F4, the GA-700HDS-7AER-F4 and the DW-6900HDS-7ER-F4. Furthermore, their connection to this collection goes beyond just the colorway.

For instance, take any of the four watches into the dark and you’ll discover they have retro glow-in-the-dark detailing on the dial — a nod to the fact that the movie takes place in the 1960s, at the height of futurism.

G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four Watch light on
While the watches all have glow-in-the-dark detailing, they also each have an integrated LED light.
G-Shock

And don’t fret — they also all have their own integrated LED lights for when the glow isn’t quite enough to make the watch readable.

Of course, while the watches all suit different applications, they’re all still G-Shocks. That means they have superlatives like unmatched shock resistance, long battery lives, numerous onboard complications (stopwatch, timer, calendar and so on) and so much more.

I only wish more movie tie-in merch were as carefully considered and designed as these watches are.

G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four Watch on wrist
If you jibe with the colorway, these watches look outstanding.
G-Shock

Available now

The G-Shock x Marvel Fantastic Four watch collection is available on the brand’s UK site, where all four watches are £100 (about $136).

Editor’s note: The Fantastic Four watches (plus two alt colorways) are individually available on the US site for $110 to $140, although their landing pages lack any mention of their connection to the upcoming Marvel movie.

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