More great 1980s tech.
Casio did not only invent the tremendous world time digital watches.
In 1983 Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe inventented the now legendary G-Shock watch. Virtually indestructable watches.
Some history from G-Central:
A favorite of outdoor enthusiasts, military personnel, extreme athletes, gadget freaks, and fashion trendsetters, the G-Shock watch has a long and storied history that goes back over thirty years. When Casio lead designer Kikuo Ibe dropped a watch given to him by his father and saw it shatter to pieces, he vowed to create an unbreakable watch that could withstand major drops and impacts.
[I fit into the "Gadget freak" category!]
In 1981, the three-member Project Team Tough set out to make Ibe’s vision a reality. The team sought to develop a watch based on the “Triple 10” concept including shock resistance to withstand a 10 meter drop, 10-bar water resistance, and a 10-year battery life. To achieve this, Ibe came up with the “floating module” concept that suspended the module with a few points of contact and provided efficient shock protection without the need for excessive shock absorbing material. After going through over 200 prototypes and rigorous testing, the final result was the G-Shock DW-5000C, launched in April 1983.
The G-Shock would eventually gain a reputation as the world’s toughest watch, featuring a protective case and an extreme level of shock resistance that had never been seen before. It also featured 200-meter water resistance, a 10-year battery, and had the digital functions that remain an integral part of G-Shock watches today: stopwatch, countdown timer, 12/24 hour mode, alarm, and light. Though the G-Shock watch filled an untapped niche, initial sales in Japan were sluggish and there was concern about it being discontinued. In 1984, Casio released the G-Shock DW-5200 which was featured in a widely-seen commercial being used like a hockey puck. The DW-5200 sold well in America, especially with athletes like skateboarders and surfers, and the “Hero” model is credited with popularizing and saving the brand. The DW-5000 would eventually evolve into the DW-5600C in 1987 and live on spiritually as the various “square” models that are still produced today.
The original looked like this:
With the success of the 5000 line, Casio did not rest on its laurels and continued to innovate, consistently introducing new G-Shock models and features.
In 1989, the first analog G-Shock AW-500 was launched. 1992 saw the first sensor-equipped watch: the DW-6100 with a thermometer. 1993 saw the introduction of the Frogman DW-6300, an oversized, asymmetrical diving watch. The Frogman was the first G-Shock to be ISO-certified and would become one of the most significant models in G-Shock history as well as a collector’s favorite.
G-Shock experienced a golden age in the 1990s and found the brand gaining mainstream acceptance and a newfound image as an innovator of streetwear fashion. G-Shock’s many limited edition collaboration releases with popular streetwear and lifestyle brands would prove to be extremely popular and continues to be a major part of its operations.
With the success of their resin watches, Kikuo Ibe and a team of eight young Casio engineers set out on a new mission to create a metal G-Shock that could be worn for both casual and dress occasions. The result was the MR-G series which launched in 1996. Analog models joined the MR-G series in 1997 and laid the foundation for the high-end G-Shock watches of today.
The first solar powered Raysman DW-9300 was released in 1998 and this was the beginning of the now popular Tough Solar feature. 2000 saw the introduction of radio time calibration with the GW-100, later to evolve and currently be known as Multi-Band 6.
After seeing sales peak in the 1990s, G-Shock began to focus more on analog models in the 2010s but also continued to develop digital models like the best-selling GW-9400 Rangeman with the Triple Sensor. In the late 2010s, Casio started focusing heavily on the Bluetooth mobile link feature as well as expanding the features of its signature lines like the Frogman and Rangeman. G-Shock has sold over 100 million units worldwide and has seen a resurgence after the brand’s 30th anniversary and Casio’s ongoing promotional efforts, including events and collaborations with athletes, artists, musicians, and fashion designers.
Over the years my socks draw has filled up with many G-Shocks.
My favourites are the analog and digital combinations. I like analog including a moving second hand, but I also like a bit of digital to remind me of the 80s. These days I need a big clear analog face so I can read the time without putting on my glasses.
This is one of my old favourites. The GG1000-1A Mudmaster. Big. Chunky. Indestructable. Clear Analog. Nice digital for day, date and month.
THIS is a watch!
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