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Last-minute idea took a long time to pay off for Casio’s G-Shock

Editor’s note: This is the compilation of Asahi Shimbun articles about the G-Shock watch. The birth and developments over the course of 40 years are retraced of the Casio line known for not only its exceptional durability but stylishness, under which more than 100 million units have been sold in more than 140 countries the world over.

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Kikuo Ibe's eureka moment came as the result of an unfortunate accident, when he bumped into someone in a corridor at his research institute in Tokyo during his fifth year in the job.

Ibe, a watch designer at Casio Computer Co., was deeply shocked by the simple fact that a wristwatch could be “broken if dropped,” seeing his timepiece fall to the floor and its parts scattered about.

Though the watch was given to him by his father when he was entering high school, he was more taken aback by how easily it broke. 

Inspired by this “impressive” experience, Ibe jotted down and submitted the concept in 1981 for a heavy-duty watch under a Casio program where employees were supposed to pitch new products and technologies at the end of each month.

JUST IN TIME BUT NO TESTS

Despite pitching…

New G-Shock Watch Inspired by Apple’s 80s Aesthetics launched

Bait, a renowned streetwear brand, has once again partnered with Casio to release a limited-edition G-Shock DW5600. The new collaboration, dubbed “Innovation,” pays homage to the dawn of personal technology in the 80s, coinciding with the original release of the iconic DW5600 model in 1983.

The Bait x Casio G-Shock DW5600 showcases a bold white resin case, strap, and octagonal bezel. Its design takes inspiration from Apple’s 80s branding, featuring a rainbow-striped flame icon and a matching font on the band. The dial includes glow-in-the-dark accents around the green negative LCD, offering better visibility in low light and adding a nostalgic retro touch.

True to G-Shock’s heritage, the watch includes standard features such as a stopwatch, countdown timer, alarm, and 200-meter water resistance. It also boasts a shock-resistant resin construction, a mineral glass display, and an electro-luminescent backlight with a blue-green afterglow. The DW5600 offers a full auto-calendar (valid until 2099), 12/24-hour timekeeping, and an accuracy of ±15 seconds per month.

Additional functionalities include a multi-function alarm, hourly time signal, and a flash alert feature. Its battery life is approximately two years on a CR2016 cell, with a warranty of two years. The watch will be available for purchase at…