G-SHOCK has become a luxury watch. The editorial team of a watch magazine thoroughly discusses the "MTG-B2000YBD"!

Members of the editorial staff at watch magazine Chronos Japan wore the new 2025 G-SHOCK "MTG-B2000YBD-2AJF" for several days and then discussed it privately. The discussion ranged from the watch's exterior to its feel, functionality, and even its positioning within Casio's product line and the future prospects of the collection. What was it about this watch that got the editorial staff so excited? The panel members were Editor-in-Chief Masamasa Hirota, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Yukiya Suzuki, Editorial Department's Taketo Hosoda, and transcriptionist Chieko Tsuruoka.

Discussion with the editorial team about G-SHOCK's new 2025 model, the MTG-B2000YBD-2AJF

Hosoda"This model is the newest addition to the G-SHOCK MT-G series, the MTG-B2000YBD-2AJF, made of stainless steel. The 2000 series of MT-G is a classic model, isn't it? I guess it's the third generation of MT-G. This model combines carbon composite and stainless steel. Our company's Nabata-san interviewed this model a while back and wrote a detailed article about the case structure of this series, so please include a link on the discussion page (related article:http://www.webchronos.net/features/56677/)

(I.e."Does that mean that the ears, the so-called middle case, have a carbon monocoque that protrudes to the outside?"

Hosoda"That's right. The original MT-G had an inner case that was sandwiched between the stainless steel case back and bezel, but the MTG-B2000 has a carbon monocoque case inserted into the stainless steel frame and held down by the bezel from above. That's why the case back is also carbon monocoque."

(I.e."As I thought, the visible parts are made of carbon fiber. From the case back to the ears on both sides."

Hosoda"That's right. There are variations within the MTG-B2000, and the model that everyone is wearing today is the regular MTG-B2000YBD. It's not just a pure carbon composite, but it also has a blue glass fiber sheet to create a pattern. I wonder what kind of glass fiber it is? Anyway, it's a combination of carbon and glass fiber."

(I.e."Is this fiberglass thick? Will it be strong enough?"

Hosoda"I think it's simply a design feature. There are all-carbon models, too."

(I.e."The design is interesting. Some of it has woven carbon, and some has layers. I thought it was intricate."

A luxurious look with a contrasting lightness

(I.e."Also, it's very light. (It's made of stainless steel, but) for a moment I thought it was made of titanium. When you actually wear it, it feels even lighter because of its metal, heavy appearance, and that really made an impression on me."

Hirota"They've also gotten better at creating a sense of luxury. I think Casio has finally come up with a concept of 'easy-to-understand luxury.' Specifically, the finish of the case. Luxury sports watches are a good example, and a recent standard is to combine polished and satin finishes to create a sense of luxury. Casio used to use the old technique of a full polished finish. This is difficult to create, but it's also difficult to convey a sense of luxury that is easy for users to understand, and I think the current MT-G has learned that lesson."

(I.e."There was certainly a time more than 20 years ago when stainless steel was polished all over and felt luxurious."

Hosoda"I still think the fully polished Breitling models are great."

(I.e."The polished finish is unexpected against the solid feel of the stainless steel, and it still looks cool even today. Breguet's old Type XX also had a polished finish, though I can't remember if it was all over the surface. I quite like it, and as Hirota said, the combination of finishes gives it a cool, three-dimensional feel and a luxurious feel, which I feel is a skill that is common to the RagSports."

Hirota"Today's luxury watches place importance on emphasizing three-dimensionality. Casio has also matured in its approach of combining polished and satin finishes. However, I feel that the clearance between the bracelet links, which is large enough that the pins can be seen by slightly shifting them, could be tightened a little more."

Everyone agreed that the bracelet should be a little tighter.

Hosoda"The bracelet is also made of stainless steel, but the links are hollow, and a resin panel is fitted into the hollow."

(I.e."Oh, the other side?"

Hosoda"Yes. This structure is for weight reduction. The catalog weight of the watch is 131g, but in its current state with the links removed (to adjust the bracelet), it weighs 125g."

(I.e."The fact that the back of the bracelet is fitted with resin is not only good for reducing weight, but also because the metal doesn't come into direct contact with the skin. There are also gaps, so it doesn't get stuffy even when you sweat, so I think it's a good specification."

Hosoda"It's less likely to cause allergies. By the way, the missing links are made using MIM (metal powder injection molding) rather than by cutting."

(I.e."It's easy to make complex shapes if you have a mold, so that makes sense."

Hosoda"When Casio first started using MIM, they were unable to produce high-precision pieces, so they discontinued it. However, when the new generation of this series, the MTG-B2000, came out, the precision of MIM had improved, so they revived it. Incidentally, in the past, they would drill a lot of holes in the links to make them lighter, but that's gone now, and the watch looks much sleeker."

(I.e."As Hirota said, I'd like the bracelet to be a little more compact, but if they did, the price would probably go up. However, I think it's okay if it was a little more expensive. The contrast between the luxurious appearance and the lightness is very unexpected and makes this an interesting watch, but to be honest, when I first held it in my hand and put it on, I was disappointed that the bracelet rattled."

Tsuruoka"why?"

(I.e."It just feels cheap. Titanium is light, but it doesn't rattle like this... I wonder if the rattle comes from the hollowed-out parts made with MIM? In the past, even stainless steel bracelets made from solid wood would rattle, but each company has since fixed that. With that in mind, this feel doesn't seem appropriate for a high-end watch."

Hosoda"Yes, Casio uses the term 'heavy' to describe the bracelet, but heavy doesn't go with clunky clunks."

(I.e."The appearance and texture are solid, but I guess it can't be helped since they're trying to make it light, but I wish they'd do something about the sound."

Hosoda"Maybe we could reduce the play between the pieces."

Tsuruoka"Isn't this game for shock resistance?"

Hirota"In order to increase the shock resistance of G-SHOCK, it is a given that there must be clearance between the parts. In other words, it is a big disadvantage for a luxury watch."

(I.e."It contradicts the idea of ​​luxury. It's a difficult point."

Hosoda"It's lightweight, and the Dual Core Guard structure encases the module in a carbon monocoque case, creating a hollow structure, so I think it meets the shock resistance requirements. I don't think there would be any problem (in terms of shock resistance) if the bracelet clearance were narrowed further, but what do you think?"

Hirota"The impact resistance of G-SHOCK includes the bracelet. Because the bracelet is vulnerable to impact, we have taken the approach of leaving some clearance between the components, but we can still reduce that."

Hosoda"For example, Girard-Perregaux's Casquette is made of ceramic, but the links are solid. The bracelet is also made of ceramic, so naturally it will break if it is hit. That's why, like the MT-G, we attached a resin material to the back of the bracelet, and this resin is elastic. This design absorbs shock and prevents noise when the links hit each other. I think it might be a good idea to consider using an elastic resin material for the MT-G as well."

The "difficulty" of MT-G

Hosoda"The titanium MR-G doesn't make any rattle noises, but because of the MR-G, it's probably difficult to use titanium in the MT-G."

(I.e."The MR-G's titanium finish is of a higher level, so I think it's good that it's differentiated in that respect. However, considering the price of 181,500 yen (tax included), I thought it was a shame that it made a clattering sound when you held it in your hand, especially since it looks so solid and luxurious. People who regularly wear luxury watches value the feel more than the look, so they might be more inclined to go for the MR-G than the MT-G."

Hosoda"While MR-G is growing in popularity, I think MT-G is becoming a collection that is difficult to position. MR-G is an easy choice for everyday use by people who have purchased luxury watches, but when MT-G is aimed at the casual user demographic, it is quite a risk for casual users to spend over 18 yen on a watch... The fact that the 'Full Metal' series can be purchased for under 10 yen also poses a difficult problem when targeting casual users."

(I.e."That's why I really appreciate the use of a carbon monocoque case and elaborate designs using fiberglass."

The luxury that can be seen from the dial

Hosoda"Also, as always, the texture of the dial is nice. Currently, there are various methods of solar power generation, but this model is made of the classic polycarbonate, which allows light to pass through to the solar cell underneath the dial, a typical example. Despite this, Casio has done a good job, as always, of not making it feel plasticky. By the way, how easy was it to read the time?"

(I.e."Because it's analog, you can tell the time intuitively, and the hands and indices are thick and three-dimensional, so it's easy to read the time even when viewed from an angle, so there were no problems in that regard. By the way, is the crystal coated?"

Hosoda"It's internalized."

(I.e."That's right. Even though it was coated, when you looked at the dial from an angle it was shining and it was hard to tell the time. It was especially hard to see the time in a strong light source."

Hosoda"The diamond-cut indexes really add a sparkle to the area."

Hirota"Both the MR-G and MT-G have been trying to use thicker hands on their quartz movements from an early stage. As far as I know, among Japanese brands, Casio's Pro Trek was the first to make the hands of its quartz movements thicker to improve visibility. (Quartz has a weak torque, so) the method was to make them thinner, lighter, and increase the surface area. This was done to match the massive design of the G-SHOCK."

(I.e."The visibility and presence are comparable to other luxury watches. When it comes to analog G-SHOCK, there's the AW-500, right? The hands have been thick even back then. They've really done a great job."

Hirota"It's said that Casio didn't have analog technology, but that's not true. At the very least, they've done a good job of turning thick hands with quartz movements, which have low torque. I think that's why they're able to make watches in the high-price range, like the MT-G and MR-G, that are comparable to other luxury watches. The hands are thin, so in theory they will bend, but it's amazing that they've managed to keep them shock-resistant to a level that probably won't cause any problems even if they do bend."

(I.e."There's plenty of space (between the dial and the hands). It's also clever how they've given it a three-dimensional feel, making the clearance less noticeable. The three-dimensional feel, including the indexes, hands, and the space between the dial and hands, is all connected to the expression. To make it shock-resistant, there's enough space to allow the hands to bend without any problems, but at the same time, it's aesthetically pleasing."

The functions need to be intuitive and easy to understand.

(I.e."The exterior is nice, but the fact that the functions are hard to understand is a disappointing point. To begin with, it's not just the MT-G, but many connected watches, solar radio-controlled watches, and other watches that are difficult to understand how to use. With a digital watch, you can figure it out by changing modes, but with analog, you don't know where to set what."

TsuruokaHave you used the Mobile Link feature?

Hosoda"When we held a debate before (article:http://www.webchronos.net/features/103223/) I tried setting it up with Mobile Link, but it didn't register this time... so I set the time manually."

Tsuruoka"Maybe it's because it's a new game that hasn't been released yet. The mobile link is super convenient."

Hosoda"The watch itself automatically adjusts the time using standard radio waves, but if you use Mobile Link, it adjusts the time as soon as you connect it to your smartphone, and it's also convenient to be able to set the world time to any time zone with just one touch. The MT-G functions are difficult to use independently, but they're easy to use when connected to a smartphone."

(I.e."These days, even smartphones automatically pick up a signal and change the time when you travel abroad. If you connect via Bluetooth, there's no need to set the time on the watch itself. But isn't the biggest problem with this type of analog electronic watch that you can't intuitively set the time manually?"

Hosoda"It's a shame that the buttons on the watch have so many functions, like a stopwatch, world time, and alarms. Also, the alarms sometimes go off in the middle of the night, and I don't even know when I set them (laughs)."

(I.e."I still have the alarm set for midnight on my G-SHOCK, but I don't know how to turn it off. Well, I do use it as an alarm for the last train when I'm working overtime late at night (laughs). Is there anything I can do about the inconvenient nature of the watch, which doesn't make me want to just fix it? I don't want to have to look at the instruction manual every time. Simpler functions are better. That's what bothers me."

Tsuruoka"Is it okay to have fewer features? It costs over 18 yen."

(I.e."When you aim for multiple functions, it becomes difficult to use and the selling points become unclear. I think it would be better to narrow it down. We were talking about this when I interviewed Hirota and former Casio president Yuichi Masuda some time ago. They aimed for too many functions, and ended up becoming what we now call the Galapagos Islands. Digital is fun when it has gimmicks, but with analog, you want to use it intuitively."

Hirota"It's a difficult question, isn't it? However, currently, Casio's modules are somewhat common across G-SHOCK, MT-G, and MR-G. So I think that in the future, we may be in an era where modules with completely new interfaces, such as those specifically for MT-G or MR-G, will appear."

Hosoda"Considering the price difference, that's what they should do."

G-SHOCK has become a luxury watch

Hirota"For now, the MT-G has captured the essence of three-dimensionality and luxury, so it would be even better if the interface were more compact. But it's not bad at all. It makes me think that Casio is getting used to making luxury watches."

(I.e."Packaging has gotten better. Both the MT-G and MR-G have become luxury watches. That's why I think the feel of the crown and bracelet is important when targeting people who are accustomed to wearing luxury watches, which is a step ahead of the current model. The MT-G may be difficult to sell in terms of price, but since it has evolved so far, I expect it to continue to mature even further."

Hirota"If MR-G is to be a luxury line, then MT-G will be somewhere between the regular G-SHOCK and the MT-G. If it matures as a collection that incorporates experimental elements, its positioning will become clearer."

Hosoda"I'd like to see them go more freely with colorful designs and materials. Also, G-SHOCK has quite an affinity with street fashion. Because the MR-G is a luxury line, it's separated from that genre, but on the other hand, it might be interesting if the MT-G was made into a 'luxury version of street fashion.'"

(I.e."The MT-G's position as a 'luxury G-SHOCK that does something new' makes sense. It's also in a very affordable price range. I think the strength of the MT-G is that it can be targeted at people who like new things."

Hirota"As I mentioned earlier, I think there are two demographics that buy MT-G. One is people who are stepping up from G-SHOCK. An even bigger demographic is people who normally wear luxury watches. For people who wear watches costing between 50 and 100 million yen, it's the feel that makes them want to buy one. At this price range, the standard of comparison is brands like Longines."

(I.e."Longines' exteriors are also becoming more mature... so even though they've improved, the MT-G also needs to improve its quality. I know they're working hard, and I look forward to seeing what they do."