Casio’s iconic G-Shock watch brand celebrates its 35th anniversary this year with special events and releases including a series of limited-edition matte red models.
Here are some key dates and figures from the history of the Japanese watch brand, from its origins and innovations to its now legendary models.
1983: After two years of research and development, Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe created the high-resistance G-Shock watch. His motto was “Never give up.” The watch underwent some unusual testing, with some 200 prototypes thrown off the top of a Tokyo building.
1993: Ten years after creating the original G-Shock watch, the brand presented the “DW-6300,” the first model boasting water-resistance to 200 metres — good news for divers!
2002: G-Shock watches got the Tough Solar charging system, turning light into power, as well as automatic time calibration via radio signals.
50 million: The number of G-Shock watches shipped worldwide by the end of 2010.
-58°C: Temperature to which the “GPW-2000 Gravitymaster” is resistant. The watch was sent into the stratosphere on a weather balloon, soaring some 44.1km above the ground, exposed to temperatures of -58°C. The watch was still intact when it returned to Earth.
2010: A turning point for the brand, with carbon fiber added to the strap of a G-SOCK watch, boosting resistance once again.
2012: G-Shock introduced Bluetooth tethering to smartphones. This further simplified time calibration.
100 million: G-Shock watches sold worldwide as of August 31, 2017, after 35 years on the market.
