Analog/digital G-Shocks all have traditional watch hands, giving them at-a-glance legibility and a sense of time itself that’s lacking on a fully digital display. There’s something about looking at a whole watch dial that offers a broader perspective on time, and this is certainly part of the allure here. The G-Shock was conceptualised in 1981 by Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe when he accidentally dropped and broke a pocket watch given to him by his father. The G-Shock was conceived as a watch which would have “triple 10” resistance, meaning it would have a battery life of 10 years, have a water resistance of 10 bar and could survive a fall of 10 metres.
Casio makes a rugged G-Shock in just about every color and for every type of profession — here, we break down the model lines. Ex-Special Forces-British SAS soldier Andy McNab mentions in several of his novels how his character Nick Stone relies on a G-Shock watch. According to Mark Bowden’s book Blackhawk Down, the DELTA Operators wore G-Shock watches during the combat events of 3 and 4 October 1993. Since then, G-Shock watches have become very popular with Special Forces groups in both American and other NATO nation units, due to being “battle tested”. It’s always a good idea to understand your G-SHOCK and other watches you own thoroughly.
The idea for the G-SHOCK line was conceptualized in 1981 when Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe dropped the pocket watch he received from his father accidentally. A trio dubbed “team tough” was chosen to create a timepiece that was rugged enough for everyday dings and drops. Ibe was enlightened to learn that a rubber ball’s center doesn’t suffer a shock when the ball is bounced, leading him to incorporate that idea into the first-ever G-SHOCK timepiece. He also wanted to make the watch water-resistant up to 102 meters, fall-resistant up to 10 feet, and have a battery life of one decade.
The broad category of digital watches, however, ranges from small retro-styled units to some of the wildest behemoths in the G-Shock range. The strap of the watch is also designed to protect the module during a fall. Constructed from Murasaki-gane baby g shock metal and Cobarion, which is three times stronger than steel, this G-SHOCK watch is extraordinary. It has a shock-resistant all-metal design with a Dura Soft Fluoro rubber band to help it withstand adventures wherever you roam.
It’s packing plenty of functionality for those who love to catch big waves, including surf data tracking and performance. This watch also features a tide graph, which is a highly beneficial tool for serious surfers. The translucent construction with silver details is sporting Kanoa’s signature on the case back, band, and face. And as you might have guessed, it’s water-resistant up to 200 meters and shock-resistant. DW5600BBN-1 $ 99.00 From G-SHOCK, the watch brand that is constantly setting new standards for timekeeping toughness, comes the DW5600BBN-1 with monotone black coloring and a cloth band.
These styles of band are also known as “crossband” in the Japanese domestic market. Casio refers to them as drainage slits; the idea is that water will drain out with no problems while in action when surfing. These baby g shock models were branded as X-Treme for the Japanese domestic market. Some include Tough Solar battery charging and Multiband 6 time synchronisation through radio signals from six transmission stations worldwide.