The Ultimate Guide to All G-SHOCKs — composed by Experts
G-SHOCK has been entrenched in the grimy yet glamorous world of streetwear right from the jump. The heavy-duty vibe was an instant hit in the 90s with the rap and graf set, who admired the indestructible nature of the watches while also appreciating their capacity for personalisation.
Despite an emergent cachet, the notion of a Japanese brand replicating the limited release strategy favoured by luxury European labels was still inconceivable in the early-90s. At this point, the typical sales strategy was simply to shift as many units as possible. However, Casio had detected a burgeoning community of collectors and wanted to reward them, so they disrupted the status quo in 1993 by releasing a 10th anniversary tribute to the DW-5000. Just 1983 pieces of the DW-1983-1 were produced and the notion of a collectible G-SHOCK was born.
They followed up the successful anniversary project a year later with their first official collaboration, working with the International Cetacean Education and Research Center ICERC). A special G-SHOCK pack was released to coincide with the Dolphin & Whale conference in Japan, with proceeds going to charity. The project opened G-SHOCK’s mind to working with other organisations. In 1997 and 98, G-SHOCK enlisted Stussy and Bape for limited edition colabs. The term ‘blogger’ hadn’t been invented, let alone become a legit occupation, leaving it to print publications and street-level whispers to build home-grown hype.
In forging these seminal partnerships, G-SHOCK can stake a claim to inspiring the sneaker industry’s glory run of celebrated colabs in the early-2000s. G-SHOCK collaboration alumni includes Parra, Alife, atmos, Clot, Beauty & Youth, Undefeated, Medicom and DGK (Dirty Ghetto Kids). Even the high fashion powerhouse Maison Martin Margiela designed a stunning GA-300 in 2013.
Over the last decade, G-SHOCK has broadened its creative connections, working with renowned New York graphic designer and artist Eric Haze, who applied his signature touch to memorable DW-6900 and DW-5600 models. Other partners include Takashi Murakami, Terry Richardson, Kevin Lyons and the Wu-Tang Clan. Japan’s anime and toy cultures have not been neglected either, with Neon Genesis Evangelion and adFunture also blessed with colourful homage packs. With such an
impeccable track record, G-SHOCK has proven that collaborating with other great minds can produce spectacular new spinoffs.
After long ago mastering the science behind a watch with 10 years of battery life, 10 bar of water resistance and the ability to endure a 10 metre drop, the ‘rule of tens’ that served as the foundation for Kikuo Ibe’s design still thrives at G-SHOCK, albeit in a different way. The focus is now thinking 10 years ahead. Extreme heat resistance, new levels of luxury
– such as the all-gold ‘Dream Project’ DW-5000C – and even more intricate printing techniques are all in the pipeline to keep G-SHOCK at the zenith of cutting-edge technology, refined style and street-level fashionability.
To their credit, Casio have never deviated from the original shock resist mission, and they continue to dominate the industry with enterprising efficiency. From giving a precocious employee the go-ahead to dream big and develop the first ever shock resistant watch, to co-signing revolutionary streetwear brands and artists, G-SHOCK has proven that it still possesses the hunger to stay at the top of the game. Don’t look away now, the future remains a thrilling prospect at G-SHOCK!
Being a fan of CASIO watches since 2009, I strive to share my passion and knowledge with others. Through publishing short notes and curating all listings on this site, I hope to inspire fellow enthusiasts to explore the world of high-quality CASIO watches. A proud owner of GST-B200, GG-1000, GA-110. Remember: Fake Watches are for Fake People.
Other G-SHOCK listings DW-6900 is in!
*you may find similar watches there
Other G-SHOCK listings DW-5600 is in!
*you may find similar watches there
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