The Casio G-Shock is an indestructible feat of engineering, and a cultural icon
Borna BošnjakThere are very few things that watch fans agree on pretty much universally. The fact that the Casio G-Shock is straight-up awesome is one of them, however. What makes this all the more unusual is that this is an industrially produced, digital, quartz watch – far from the gleaming, mechanical marvels crafted by silver-haired artisans in some remote Swiss mountain. And yet, its effect on much more than just the watch industry and collecting circles is undeniable. But once you look closer at what makes a G-Shock a G-Shock, you might be less surprised to see why it has become the watch and pop culture stalwart that it has.
The pursuit of toughness
It was the early 1980s, and much of the watch world was still recovering from the effects of the quartz crisis. Numerous household names went under, and many of the ones that pulled through did so by the skin of their teeth. Casio, however, was not in that position. The inventors of the first electronic calculator entered the watch market with the 1974 release of the Casiotron, and with subsequent, resin-cased follow-ups, the brand was riding high. Even though quartz had many advantages, it was still in its infancy, and many of Casio’s early digital watches were just as fragile as their mechanical counterparts. In fact, it’s the inherent vulnerabilities of the latter that led to the creation of G-Shock.
The story goes like this. While casually strolling along, Kikuo Ibe bumped into a fellow pedestrian, resulting in his father’s mechanical watch that had been passed down to him falling to the ground and breaking. As Zach found out in his interview with Ibe, the three-hander with calendar was Japanese-made, and unfortunately, beyond repair. To remedy this happening in the future, Ibe proposed a watch that would have “triple ten” resistance – able to survive a 10-metre drop, have a 10-year battery life, and 10 bar of water resistance. To achieve this, Ibe brought on a team of Casio engineers under the name Team Tough (pretty cool as far as team names go, if you ask me), and set about testing hundreds of prototypes, starting in 1981.
The result was the 1983 DW-5000C, the first-ever G-Shock. The now-legendary internal rubber module was conceptualised to work like a bouncing ball, protecting the contents from shock. Housed in urethane foam, the “floating” module was protected by a total of ten outer layers, including a rubber bumper, a steel inner case and caseback, and the mineral glass LCD cover. Even the buttons and strap were overengineered, the former using elongated shafts to reach the inner module, and the latter designed to provide cushioning during a drop. If you compare it to the G-Shocks of today, it still very much holds its own, with its 200 metres of water resistance and renowned drop resistance besting the initial triple ten goal.
Dropping tests and beats
Like with many products that have become symbolic, good advertising was key – and just like today, it was never enough to just drop a load of money on the latest and greatest tech for your ad, it had to evoke feeling. Upon G-Shock’s entry into the American market, the brand’s US-based marketing team pulled off an absolute advertising masterstroke. The original ad involving a hockey player who must’ve lost their puck and decided to use a DW-5200C instead only played a part of the story. Naturally, viewers weren’t particularly optimistic and claimed false advertising, prompting local TV channels like Fight Back! with David Horowitz to try the test themselves. The watch passed with flying colours, earning the DW-5200C the nickname “Hero”. When it comes to watch nerds, that’s about as high an honour as one can bestow.
This was the beginning of a meteoric rise that not even the creator of G-Shock could have expected. Originally, Ibe had created the watch for construction workers who needed tough, dependable pieces that could survive a day on the impact drill with no issues. In an interview with Monster Children, he recalls “…in the ’90s when I was on the train, going somewhere, I saw young people wearing G-Shock and I thought: ‘Oh my gosh, my watch is on their wrist.’ (…) and [I] looked at my wrist with my G-Shock and I thought: ‘I should not be wearing this. These are for young people.’ So I did take it off!”
It’s clear that young Millennials saw a style potential in G-Shock that would continue until today. Soon, requests came for brightly coloured Gs, making their way to the wrists of baggy-panted skateboarders, and eventually breaking into the mainstream pop-culture limelight through music. But apart from just being spotted on the wrists of Eminem or one of the Beastie Boys, the G-Shock always had a unique ace up its sleeve that other hot watches could hardly compete with: it underpromised and overdelivered on specs, and always at an attainable price point. Sure, you could splurge on some of the MR-G models that had come out by the mid-1990s, but the ol’ reliable 5600 was always there – coincidentally for around the same price you can pick one up today. I’ll stop short of calling a G-Shock DW-5600 inflation-resistant, but it has certainly stayed at good value. However, that’s not really a secret now, is it? Some 20 years later, in 1998, Casio recorded hundreds of G-Shock models in the catalogue, and worldwide sales nearing 20 million pieces.
The G-Shock of today
Distilling everything under the G-Shock umbrella admittedly does some of models an injustice, as there’s no way I’d be able to cover them all in a single article. Most importantly, however, the tough ethos hasn’t changed until now, so whichever G-Shock you choose to spring for, rest assured it’ll still meet (and often outperform) the original triple ten goal. As time went on, Casio introduced incremental upgrades, whether that’s integrating unique complications such as a tidegraph or more widely usable ones like radio tower time calibration.
In 2002, the G-5600 would bring the first significant upgrade to the shock-resistant technology with a carbon fibre-reinforced case and a new metal reinforcement plate, all to accommodate solar charging in the recognisable 5600 shape. The 2013 MTG-S1000 would develop that into the Core Guard structure that would become Carbon Core Guard, widely used in numerous G-Shocks today (like the 2024 Manga series CasiOaks above), and continuing the legacy started by Ibe and the 5000C’s foam-filled inner.
The 2020s obsession with collaborations was a perfect opportunity for Casio to make the most of the trend, including an ana-digi model with Hilltop Hoods, two contrasting G-Shocks with Gorillaz, and even one that we had a bit of involvement with, with no shortage of other limited editions either. It’s really not all that surprising to hear that Casio celebrated 100 million G-Shocks sold in September of 2017, especially if you consult one of our buying guides – a G-Shock is just about the best way to get a durable, affordable, and enthusiast-approved watch. Just don’t try to dress one up.
Notable models
Unlike our deep dives into the Lange 1 or Rolex GMT, there are way too many G-Shock references to be able to truly list all the notable models. Instead, I’ll point out the ones that signified the greatest change, or were the first of a legendary model, starting of course, with the very first. There’s not much more I can say about the DW-5000C, and it’s no surprise that mint condition models trade for US$2,000 and more.
A decade after the 5000C, Casio introduced the Frogman. Apart from the knobby design that remains well-loved by G-Shock fans today, the Frogman was the first G-Shock to be ISO 6425-certified as a dive watch, and was the genesis of Casio’s Master of G collection.
Two years after the Frogman, the DW-6900-1V would be released, and I’m confident in saying that along the square G, the 6900 is the brand’s most recognisable model. With a front-and-centre G button operating the light, and a trio of section sub-dials at the top, the design is unmistakably G-Shock, and has been used as a canvas for numerous limited editions, and even aftermarket gemsetting by the likes of Kid Cudi and Pharrell.
And if you’re sitting here reading this with one of G-Shock’s shiny Full Metal watches, this is where it all started in 1996. The MRG-100 (also DW-8900) was the beginning of the high-end MR-G line, though proved challenging to design given the metal case construction. Ibe and his team devised a system where the bezel would sit separate from the rest of the construction, cushioned by glass packing material at the top and bottom, while the bezel itself is secured by the four visible screws.
You know how I said that the 5600 and 6900 are G-Shock’s most famous references? Give it a few decades, and the 2019 CasiOak GA-2100 may have a thing or two to say about that, especially if it continues to be as popular as it has been in the last six years. Upon its release at the height of the integrated bracelet craze, it was easy for people to draw the connection to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and people were actually paying premiums for the sought-after GA-2100 colourways. These days, the hype has thankfully died down. But if you’re hoping to pick up certain limited editions like the aforementioned Manga – good luck.
And finally, as a bit of a treat, is a duo of truly special pieces. The Dream Project series celebrated G-Shock’s 35th and 40th anniversary with a 35-piece and unique model, resplendent in solid yellow gold. First a prototype at Baselworld 2015, it would take Casio four years to finally come out with the first G-D5000-9JR, with the 35 pieces priced at US$70,000 selling out quickly… And just a few months after I wondered whether this would be just a one-off thing, Casio announced the AI-designed Dream Project #2 that would smash the record for the most expensive G-Shock ever, the piece unique hammering at Phillips for US$400,500.