Ushering in a new generation of watches, Kikuo Ibe revolutionized watch quality when the Casio engineer conceptualized the G-Shock line. Ibe developed the “triple 10-resistance” watch after he dropped a pocket watch his father had given him, which subsequently broke. G-Shock watches can survive a fall of up to 10 meters, resist 10 bars of water resistance, and have a 10-year battery life. Manufactured with extraordinary quality, the watches also resist shock, vibration, and stress.
The G in G-Shock refers to Gravitational Shock resistance, and users wear the watches for military, outdoors, and sports pursuits.
All G-Shock watches have similar features, including an alarm, chronograph, and water resistance with an analog or digital display. High-end models showcase temperature sensors, GPS, and time adjustment capabilities. We proudly offer the CasiOak with classical shapes, patterns, and colors. This optical art watch has high-quality G-Shock fashion styling, encompassing beauty and durability for discerning G-Shock watch enthusiasts.
History of G-Shock
Ibe selected three members to join his “team tough.” These engineers evaluated 200 prototypes and still fell short of the quality Ibe conceived. After visiting a playground, Ibe realized the center of a rubber ball does not feel the impact of the shock when hitting a hard surface. Using the rubber ball concept, the team began to develop the first G-Shock watch. Finding success in 1983, the DW-5000C, Casio’s first G-Shock, was launched. Ibe designed 10 layers of protection, which included a rubber layer, a steel case, and mineral glass crystal. The team even designed the strap to protect a falling watch if it was to hit a hard surface.
Sales began slowly in Japan. Popularity increased in the 90s when Casio America released a TV commercial showing the watch remaining intact after an ice hockey player demonstrated its toughness by using it as a hockey puck. Accused of false advertising, the company came under fire. However, after a news channel tested the DW-5000C by repeating the actions in the commercial, the watch again remained intact and functional. As a result, popularity skyrocketed throughout the 90s, with Casio selling more than 19 million watches globally of more than 200 variant models of the G-Shock.
Timeline for New Models
By 1985, the history of G-Shock included a mud-resistant model called Mudman. The watchmaker designed an entire line of Mudman watches in 1995.
The year 1989 brought about a watch with an analog display, the AW-500.
By 1992, Casio had developed the DW-6100, a watch featuring a plastic case to improve the shock resistance of the earlier stainless steel case models. As models evolved, most included the resin case. In 2000, the model G-200 was the last to use the stainless-steel case, except for specialty models.
The 2013 Rangeman is the first watch G-Shock watch with direction, temperature, and pressure sensors. The same year, Casio celebrated 30 years since its G-Shock’s initial launch with a New York City party, which featured new models and prototypes for upcoming releases. Eminem, the rapper, performed to mark the occasion.
In 2017, Casio celebrated an important milestone in the history of G-Shock, 100 million G-Shock watches sold globally.
In 2018, the Rangeman GPR-B1000 was launched with GPS navigation.
G-Shock watches have gained global popularity. Sparked by the determination and ingenuity of Ibe and his team, the G-Shock’s conceptualization moved to realization and garnered acclaim for its durability.
