G-SHOCK hits the big 4-0
Turning 40 this year, G-SHOCK is devoted to continuing its never-ending challenge of uncompromising toughness.
As unbelievable as it might sound, G-SHOCK is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The watch brand has become an icon in popular culture, permeating not only the street scene but also entertainment and the fashion industry.
Father of G-SHOCK Kikuo Ibe masterminded the idea for the original G-SHOCK model after breaking a watch his father had given him. Observing children at play in a park one day led Ibe to develop the basic concept for the watch. He found they could bounce a rubber ball indefinitely without causing damage to its core. That became the foundation behind the "protective" solutions he and his colleagues constructed for their watches, such as a rubber bumper placed within a stainless steel case.
After many rigorous tests and more than 200 prototypes, he developed the DW-5000C, the first commercially available G-SHOCK, using the Triple 10 principle, which requires that the product withstand water pressure up to 10 metres. However, G-SHOCK didn’t explode onto the scene until a year later, when the DW-5200C appeared in a well-known American commercial in which the watch was used as a substitute for a hockey puck and struck with a hockey stick. G-SHOCK instantly became the top watch brand for law enforcement, explorers, and extreme sports competitors.
G-SHOCK has had just as much of an effect on the watch industry after 40 years as it did back in 1983. The momentous occasion has been commemorated with a Southeast Asia Pop-Up Tour, in collaboration with 88rising Artists, in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, showcasing the brand’s most recognisable timepieces while redefining toughness with a more subjective approach through its “That’s Tough” campaign. Despite their already extensive collections, keep an eye out more soon-to-be-released references as CASIO continues its commitment to break boundaries and elevate G-SHOCK to greater heights.
As part of the celebration, G-SHOCK has also created the “Dear Younger Me” campaign, in which Kikuo Ibe encourages the younger generation with his “Toughness is embracing failures” philosophy while urging them to reflect on what being “tough” means to them. The inspiring video depicts Kikuo Ibe’s never-say-die mentality in the face of adversity.
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Visit https://gshock.casio.com/my/ for more information.
