What could be considered the Academy Awards of watches, Casio kicked off their 25 year celebration of their G-Shock line with a red carpet gala. Sure people were there from the music and fashion industry, and many came to see Mr. Kanye West (more on that later) and Spike Lee whom are both big fans of G-Shock. To us though the stars of the show were the watches and after everyone showed their admission bracelets (in the likeness of a G-Shock watch) for entry and settled in to their seats for the press conference, that is when the fun started. Casio gave a brief history of how the line was created with a very cute slideshow of images. G-Shock watches from the past, present and future flashed in front of us. They also startled us by dropping a bundle of watches from the 30 foot (or so) ceiling on to the floor of the stage. Then they introduced Spike Lee as an “icon of street culture” and as well as a collaborator on a short film celebrating G-Shock’s 25th anniversary. The presentation concluded with the newest additions to the G-Shock line were introduced:
Toughness and Beauty
Two watches introduced were the MTG 1000 and GIEZ /GS -1100 geared towards the more high end rugged customer who is not afraid to wear a tough durable watch with a suit. Both are sophisticated designs that are not only sporty but professional. MTG 1000 retails for $400 and the GIEZ/GS -1100 retails for $300.
Extreme Conditions
Four watches were introduced with the the extreme sportsman or woman in mind.
RISEMAN, is a watch that is for the aviator in all of us or world traveler. No matter were you go around the country your watch will always be the first to know what time it is. With its built in Multiband 6 Atomic Timekeeping Technology, calibrating anywhere around the world by connecting to one of the 6 worldwide transmitting towers your watch will automatically change its time. It will never know what jet lag is. MSRP $220 and Available in Macy’s in June.
GULFMAN, the watch the Tin Man could love. For those that may find themselves in more damp/moist conditions than other folks which could lead to rust, may like the fact that the GULFMAN watch is completely rust resistant and is made of titanium parts that eliminate rust. No need for any WD-40 here. Pricing and Availability TBD
MUDMAN, is for the Dirt Bike rider or Miner. MUDMAN is resistant to all dirt, mud, and dust. SO go get yourself real dirty cause even if you can’t see the time from all the filth you got yourself into, your watch will still be working. Pricing and Availability TBD
FROGMAN, probably pretty obvious from the name, FROGMAN is meant for those who are Scuba divers or others who plan at least 200 meters worth of diving. You may get all prune like and soaked and tired but your watch will just keep tick/tocking along. Pricing and Availability TBD
Commemorating their 25th Anniversary, two new watches were released in May. The new GWM5625E-7 and GW225E-7 models are both white and feature the classic designs of the original G-SHOCK model of yesteryear with a few more bells and whistles. The GWM5625E-7 will retail for $150 and the GW225E-7 will retails for $350.
Heirs to the Thrown
Finally 4 new models were introduced that are more colorful and substantially more stylish than the original G-Shock from the early 80’s. Coming in the colors white, red, pink, and yellow, these new heirs to the G-Shock throne will spice things up with their vibrant colors and trendy designs. Perfect for those hipsters and females who dig G-Shock durability. Pricing and Availability TBD.
Overall the event was really exciting and showcased what Casio has in store for us this year and beyond. They are certainly looking forward to pushing G-Shock for another 25 yrs. A focal point of the event was of course Kanye and how he was going rock the house. We waited for over 2 hours for him to show and eventually gave up. Perhaps he left his G-Shock at home.
