The long-awaited G-SHOCK reissue will be available on January 25th, 2025!!
The official distributor, Comptoine, has received a shipment of reissued G-SHOCK watches. While stocks are limited, this is your chance to try them on and purchase them in store.
A reproduction of the original G-SHOCK, symbolizing the evolution and continuity of the brand.
This milestone in the history of watches has now, over 40 years later, combined original design with modern technology.
On April 12, 1983, Casio surprised the world by releasing the G-SHOCK, a tough watch with enhanced shock and vibration resistance in harsh environments. The high shock resistance, which significantly exceeds the ISO standard for shock-resistant watches and can withstand the impacts of intense sports and the continuous vibrations of chainsaws and jackhammers, transformed the lifestyles of people around the world at the time and established a new genre of wristwatches called "toughness watches." In addition to its high functionality, its distinctive form has been highly praised, and in 2023, it was the first wristwatch to be registered as a three-dimensional trademark by the Japan Patent Office.
"We want to make a watch that won't break even if it's dropped." The proposal submitted to an internal meeting contained just one line. It was written by Ibe Kikuo, who was in charge of watch exterior design at the time. It was a simple and clear idea that came to him after he happened to see a watch that had been dropped and broken while at work. Watches are precise and delicate objects. At the time, it was normal for watches to break if dropped, so the concept of "tough" was anachronistic and unconventional. However, the proposal was accepted. Project Team Tough was formed, consisting of just three people, and development of a new watch began.
A tunnel with no exit
In order to realize this unconventional idea, the project was started from scratch. Initially, it was assumed that the entire watch would be covered in soft material. However, a drop test completely shattered this idea. No matter how much cushioning rubber was attached to the outside of the case, it would break. Moreover, the more cushioning material was attached, the larger the watch would become. Before long, the size of the experimental sample had become the size of a softball.
Eventually, they came up with a five-stage shock absorption structure that protected the heart of the watch with five types of cushioning, and the size problem was solved. However, now they had a problem with the strength of the electronic components. They were plagued by a vicious cycle in which strengthening a broken part would lead to other parts breaking. They went through an unimaginable process of trial and error, throwing a prototype with an improved part out of a third-floor bathroom window onto the ground 10 meters below, analyzing the broken part, and then increasing the strength of the part and retesting it.
The miraculous moment we arrived
It seemed that development had come to a halt. Driven into a corner, Ibe made a decision. As a last resort, he set himself a deadline of one week and decided to devote every waking moment to research. He even went so far as to think that if that didn't work, he would have no choice but to quit the company. However, the fateful day arrived with no results. On his last day at the company, he wandered into the park next to the company and saw some children playing with a rubber ball.
I was fascinated by this sight. If I put a watch inside it, it would be able to withstand strong impacts. It was truly a miraculous moment. This idea became a breakthrough, and we completed a unique structure in which the module, the heart of the watch, is suspended in mid-air inside the hollow case.
The origin and ultimate form
And so, in 1983, the first G-SHOCK model, the DW-5000C, was born. Its iconic square design was born from the pursuit of nothing but shock resistance, eliminating all unnecessary elements. It was considered the ultimate form and has been passed down to the present day as an eternal standard. Conviction bears fruit. Through tireless curiosity and tireless effort. The origins of G-SHOCK. That spirit of toughness will never fade.
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