With New Watches, G-Shock Shows There’s No Place It Won’t Go
A precious metal-coated version is just as shock resistant as the original resins—and works well with a suit.
The new rainbow-finished and rose gold ion-plated G-Shocks.
Photographer: Stephen Lewis for Bloomberg Businessweek
An emblem of durability, Casio’s G-Shock watches have survived hockey-stick slaps, oceanic pressure at 200 meters, and the weight of a 24.97-ton truck. For this resilience, the rugged alternative to a fragile dress watch has been coveted by athletes, explorers, and military personnel since the first model was released in April 1983. Fans—who include Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Spike Lee, and Pharrell—are known to hoard them, and fitness fanatics buy new G-Shocks every year as different styles are released. Now, after more than 35 years and 100 million of them shipped, the Japanese electronics manufacturer has dressed it in upscale armor.
G-Shock’s designers have long experimented with case materials beyond the brand’s signature shock-resistant resin. The father of the G-Shock, Kikuo Ibe, Casio’s research and development chief engineer, always wanted metal versions that delivered the same protection. A titanium G-Shock was introduced in 1995.