You can’t beat a Casio G-Shock. Literally. First introduced in the 1980s, the sporty timekeeper was designed by Kikuo Ibe, whose mission was “creating a watch that never breaks.” Ibe’s criteria for this tough new watch included electric shock resistance, gravity resistance, low temperature resistance, vibration resistance, water resistance and shock resistance. It was immediately the watch that every kid wanted. Checkout the coolest and most extravagant Tough Solar G-Shocks today!
The Past
Ibe built 200 prototypes by hand before he came up with what is now considered a pop culture icon. Everybody from Kanyé to Justin Beiber has been spotted wearing them. And collectors of vintage G-Shocks are as rabid as those who revel in Rolexes and Pateks.
Yet the G-Shock continues to evolve. Lately the brand has been making moves into the luxury market. In July, Casio introduced the latest in its line of metal accented offerings — the MTGS1000D-1A9, an elegant but still sporty timepiece with a seamless mix of silver and gold finishes and a tough resin band. Retailing for $900 USD, this model looks more formal than your average G-shock but it is still high-functioning with Triple G Resist, a Smart Access Crown, Multiband 6 and Tough Solar capabilities.
The Present
The MTGS1000D-1A9 is built at Casio’s Yamagata factory in Japan, as is its higher end brother, the MRGG1000B-1A4. This watch honors not only to the Casio G-Shock’s heritage but also Japanese history. It uses a red Akazonae coloring that once symbolized rank and valor amongst traditional Japanese military commanders.
It also features a black titanium bezel and band that undergo a special deep hardening process to render the metal five times harder than regular titanium. In addition, the case has to a diamond-like carbon coating and sapphire glass crystal to provide outstanding scratch resistance and durability.
Never short on functionality, the timepiece is also equipped with GPS Hybrid Atomic Timekeeping technology, Multiband 6 and Tough Solar capabilities. The MRGG1000B-1A4 is available now and retails for $3,000 USD.
The Future
Casio still has lots to offer fans of the funkier side of Casio G-Shock. The Master of G Gravitymaster Series has two new models coming out in August 2017: the new, connected GPW2000 model, as well as the GA1100 model. These aviation-inspired watches come in a khaki color with the GA1100SC also sporting a cool camo pattern on the band. In addition, both models feature a layered band with orange underlay.
The GPW2000 is G-SHOCK’s first-ever Bluetooth connected model in the Master of G series. Built specifically for aviation experts with connected GPS capabilities and accompanied by a smartphone app that tracks a flight and travel log, the 3A version also come equipped with a longitude and latitude indicator, World Time for over 300 cities, a three-way time sync and G-SHOCK’s GPS Hybrid Wave Ceptor technology.
The GPW2000-1A and GA1100SC-3A retail for $800 USD and $280 USD, respectively. All are (or will be available) for purchase at Watch It! and G-Shock.ca.