Casio’s recognised and celebrated G-Shock watches are no stranger to the world of street style and aside from the nonchalant yet uniquely enunciated designs that are very much well loved, these watches are nearly indestructible.
It’s been over 30 years since the founding father of G-Shock, Mr. Kikuo Ibe, was determined to create a watch so tough it would be able to survive a 10m fall, after he dropped a prized possession given to him by his father and it shattered. He finally found his eureka moment in a rubber ball, which then inspired G-Shock’s never-failing shock-absorbing material.
With “G” signifying gravity and its toughness, G-Shock watches have indeed come a long way, from the first G-Shock model ever created – the DW-5000 – to the timepieces that have evolved tremendously to encompass various features and functions, regardless of the activity or terrain.
As Casio Malaysia hosted the 3rd Shock the World event in Kuala Lumpur back in November, we were lucky enough to speak to the man himself, Mr. Kikuo Ibe, about his humble beginnings, the latest premium Master of G series by G-Shock, and the future.
This tiny Japanese man in his late fifties, with this much monumental success, was pleasantly down to earth and it was indeed an honour. Read on below:
Q: How did it all begin with Casio and G-Shock?
A: In university, I pursued mechanical engineering and joined Casio after graduation. With G-Shock, I initially started in the mechanical design department, and moved to product development at 28. 1994 was when we began developing the MR-G, and in 1996, it was finally launched. Let’s just say the rest is history.
Q: A lot has changed since you first started. Care to story us on the evolution of G-Shock?
A: In the beginning, the tough G-Shock watches were only available in black. Only later did we launch the G-Shock in many vibrant colours, and even prints. The metal G-Shock MR-G watches came out next. I would say one of the obvious differences is that G-Shock was only available as a digital watch back then, and now we have analog versions as well. Another addition would be the useful functions and features, such as GPS, sensors and solar powered batteries.
Q: Trends are dynamic and ever-changing. How does G-Shock strive to stay relevant?
A: We consistently gauge coming trends over one to two years. And in order to produce durable products that are of the highest quality, we look to sturdy everyday mechanisms and operations for inspiration. We then emulate and incorporate similar technologies into these watches.
The engineers behind these watches often wear the prototypes for long periods of time to ensure the timepieces adhere to the standards that have been set. As far as mechanics and innovations go, we’d always be looking five to 10 years ahead to build better G-Shock timepieces.
Q: Master of G are some of your toughest watches yet. How did you envision these watches before actually developing the products?
A: Master of G primarily caters to people with tough professions, such as those who work under the sea, in the air and in harsh environments with excessive mud. It was an ambition of mine to create watches that would gel with the lifestyles of this group of people and can withstand extreme conditions. Of course, it’s not only limited to the sea, air and land as we will constantly be broadening our horizons.
Q: What went into curating the design concept of these watches?
A: It’s a time-consuming process and we conduct many evaluations with actual professionals in the industry, like pilots, and identify their requirements in an ideal timepiece. The Master of G Frogman, for instance, has its crown and pushers on the left side of the case as placing them on the right would interfere with the tasks of a professional who works under sea.
As for the Gulfmaster models, there is an extension of a case which ultimately protects the crown of the watch, due to the nature of the duties of these professionals. The faces of these watches are also larger than usual, to guarantee that it becomes easier to tell the time, or any other information displayed.
Q: We noticed that Master of G is only marketed toward men. What about women?
A: Admittedly, it’s not something we are thinking of as of now, but we will definitely consider the female professionals working in similar environments in the near future.
Q: The Master of G range is currently available in Navy Blue, Aged Heritage Gold and Black and Rose Gold. Would there be more colourways coming?
A: I believe this is all for the Malaysian market, but we are very happy to hear that the rose gold styles have been doing very well in the Malaysian market. Not only is it a trending colour, it’s also softer than regular gold and looks better complemented with black.
Q: On a more light-hearted note, name us, if any, some bizarre mechanisms you’d like to see in the future for G-Shock?
A: It’s regarded as impolite to refer to the time during formal meetings and occasions, and it would be great if we can integrate a component which would enable the time to be embedded in our minds every time we put on a watch. No need to be looking at the watch then!
Also, young men and women, especially in Japan, do not have many opportunities to interact and Japan’s population is currently on a path to constant decline. For the sake of thinking forward for the next generation, it would be nice to throw in a character-reading device into the watches which would match people of complementing personalities together.
Q: What’s the next iteration of G-Shock you’d like to design?
A: Perhaps in five to 10 years, going to space would be a norm. The environment will no doubt be tougher than on earth, so my final dream is to create a watch that would be able to withstand space and all it entails.
Q: What are you wearing today?
A: I’m wearing a G-Shock which has a design that is similar to the first G-Shock watch I ever created. I’m a little weak, so I don’t think the Master of G watches are for me, haha.
View the entire Master of G collection of timepieces in its entirety via www.casio-intl.com/asia/en/wat/g_shock/.
