Casio G-SHOCK — what is the secret of success of this watch?

Less than four decades ago, wristwatches were considered fragile, almost a piece of jewelry that needs to be protected from the vicissitudes of everyday life. The developer of Casio watches Kikuo Ibe undertook to radically change this situation. Having caught fire with the idea of creating a watch "that doesn't break even if you drop it," he assembled a working group of only three people in 1981. Their goal was to develop a watch, following the concept of "Three by Ten": a model that can withstand a fall from a height of 10 metres, a water pressure of 10 atmospheres, and with a battery whose service life will be 10 years. The output should have turned out to be a watch that you can not take off during sports games, on the beach, fishing, in the pool, etc.

DW-8400 — model of 1995, distinguished by protection from dirt

The work on the project was not easy — for a long time it was not possible to implement the idea of a shockproof mechanism. The epiphany happened when Kikuo Ibe watched children playing with a ball in the park — after all, when pushing the ball off the ground, everything inside is protected from impact.

Design and technology

After a series of experiments with two hundred different prototypes, the desired shock-resistant design of the watch was finally created by Casio engineers. As a result, in 1983, the world's first shock-resistant watches appeared on the market: the debut model of the G—SHOCK family (from Gravity Shock) - DW5000. More than 30 years have passed, many improvements have been implemented in the G-SHOCK watch, versions have been released that do not care about frost or dirt, which are recharged from the sun, suitable for divers, etc. However, the basic design has remained unchanged.

Don't like plastic and rubber? Models of the MT-G series (from the G-Premium category) have a stainless steel case and bracelet

As we have already said, the impact resistance of the G-SHOCK is provided by a special "hollow" design of the case, which provides for the support of the watch module at several points at once. This arrangement of the module protects it from vibration and from impact during free fall from a considerable height. At the same time, the watch does not need additional shock-absorbing materials, which made it possible to make them compact and lightweight.

Thanks to the protruding rubber frame of the case, the buttons and the watch display are protected from shocks at any angle. Models with a metal frame are equipped with a gasket between the frame and the body for additional cushioning. Such gaskets also protect particularly important parts, such as solar panels.

Modern model range

Today, a wide range of G-SHOCK watches is available for sale. The model range is divided into several categories: classic, premium, specialized.

The G-Classic category includes relatively simple models with a polymer plastic body, such as the Casio G-7710-1ER. Despite belonging to the low-cost series, the model has a wide functionality and remains waterproof at a pressure of up to 20 Bar.

Models of the G-Premium category, usually, have a metal case and are equipped with various non-trivial solutions. For example, such as a yacht timer for sailing regattas or a neon display that glows at night. And usually such features are complemented by a whole set of basic functions (stopwatch, alarm clock, etc.). Depending on the features, they are divided into series with a special purpose: GULFMASTER are designed for extreme athletes who prefer the sea rather than mountains, and GRAVITYMASTER — for pilots.

The G-Specials category contains watches of different lines with their own features. For example, the G-SHOCK GA-110SL and GD-400DN models aimed at a youth audience are not only protected from everyday adversities, but also have a catchy design. At the same time, their functionality is the most advanced, with such "chips" as automatic LED backlight: the display lights up when the user tilts the watch towards himself.

A feature of the G-Specials models is an unusual, bright design

The Casio Baby-G watch series is designed for girls

In a separate category, the manufacturer allocates G-SHOCK watches with Bluetooth support. With this wireless technology, the watch can be "linked" to a mobile phone and remotely control some of its functions. You can, for example, put your phone in your pocket while riding a bike, turn on music on it, and switch songs using the buttons on the watch.

It is clear that Casio will not compare in functionality with smartwatches, but they are more reliable (and some models are also more affordable).

In addition, a branch was made from the G-SHOCK family towards the fair sex: in 1997, the Baby-G series debuted — shock-resistant watches for thin wrists, as they were characterized by Casio. This watch is distinguished by its elegant design and bright colours, but at the same time it is shockproof and waterproof.

Thus, here it is — the secret of G-SHOCK's success: a sought-after idea, backed up by successful technical solutions and a wide range of models. Therefore, these watches still remain the benchmark among sports models and, most likely, will not be displaced from the market even by such bright novelties as the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S2, etc.