A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA

In 1981, Kikuo Ibe, an engineer at CASIO's R&D in Tokyo, dropped the watch that had been given to him by his father, shattering it into pieces. From this, he embarked on a mission to create a truly indestructible watch.

In 1981, Mr. Ibe set up "Project Team Tough" in order to work on and carry out his goal. In 1983, after two years of rigorous testing and the creation of over 200 prototype watches, he achieved his goal of creating the unbreakable watch and G-SHOCK was born.

This story reflects the ethos of the G-SHOCK brand and its ‘Never Give Up’ spirit.

MAKING ICONS SINCE ‘83

From the birth of breakdance to the bmx ramp, g-shock has been at the heart of some of the coolest happenings of the last 35 Years.

The popularity of G-SHOCK increased sharply in the mid-1980s, worn initially by skateboarders for their robustness before gaining prominence in street culture and becoming an integral piece of wristwear in the world of music, fashion and sports, as well as the artistic landscape of urban culture. Our iconic case designs have continued to evolve over the years, and still inspire today’s contemporary designs.

SHOCK OF AGES

Mr Ibe’s groundbreaking design hit stores 1st April 1983: the G-SHOCK Dw-5000. So different from the contemporary trend for thinner, lighter timepieces, it caused a stir in the international media by shattering the notion of a watch as a fragile piece of jewellery to be handled with care.

The watch was popularised in a tv commercial where it was strapped to an ice hockey puck and smacked head on with a stick as it sped across the ice.

It was later, in various tv tests, run over by a lorry, dropped from an helicopter onto a concrete slab, and blown up in a mailbox… The G-SHOCK always survived

G-SHOCK’s NEW STANDARD – THE GA-2100

The first digital G-SHOCK DW-5000 was realised in 1983 and was born from the quest to create the toughest digital watch imaginable, and one which was lightweight and efficient. Then, in 1989, G-SHOCK’s first analogue design followed in the form of the AW-500.

In 2019, G-SHOCK set out to create the ultimate in toughness and clean aesthetics, whilst combining both analogue and digital functionality – The GA-2100 was born. It represents the quest for a new standard of G-SHOCK, whilst still retaining the iconic elements of icons past in the DW-5000 and AW-500.

THE INDESTRUCTIBLE WATCH

The impact resistant structure, materials and functional design of the G-SHOCK are the result of many years of research and unwavering attention to detail. From its inception, G-SHOCK watches have been put to the test and proved indestructible. Some models are resistant to extreme temperatures, high water pressure, magnetic fields, extreme vibrations, centrifugal force and more!

The latest sports watches incorporate a heart rate sensor coupled with a GPS and a Bluetooth connection to monitor performance. Many G-SHOCKs run on solar energy: a solar cell transforms natural or artificial light into energy and stores it in an accumulator. Replacing the battery is a thing of the past.