This year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of G-SHOCK. This watch has now grown into one of Japan's most iconic models. We asked its creator to tell us about its history.
Interview and text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2023 issue of Kronos Japan]
The important thing is not to betray the fans who support you.
Born in 1952. After graduating from university, he joined Casio Computer Co., Ltd., where he was responsible for the structural development of digital watches in the watch design department. In 83, G-SHOCK was commercialized as a watch that would not break even if dropped. Its popularity in the US was re-imported to Japan, where it gained popularity. While in charge of product planning for the Casio Collection, he was also involved in product planning for the first "MR-G" and "OCEANUS." He is the creator and evangelist of G-SHOCK.
"G-SHOCK has been supported by people who buy it not because it's a fad, but because it's good. Therefore, quality is an absolute requirement. We were a latecomer to the watch industry, so quality was the only way to enter the market," said Kikuo Ibe, who developed the original G-SHOCK. After development, he was transferred to product planning for the Casio Collection, commonly known as "low-priced Casio."
"At the time, the Casio collection was sold at discount stores and home improvement centers. When I first went to a store in Kyushu, I was told, 'The maximum price for a Casio watch is 3980 yen. We won't sell it for 4980 yen, so please be aware of that.' But I'm grateful for that."
From then on, Ibe became devoted to raising Casio's status. "It took 18 years to even release the metal-cased Oceanus (list price at the time: 45,000 yen). I realized how difficult it is to raise a brand's status." However, the real turning point came in 2008, when the G-SHOCK event "SHOCK THE WORLD" was held in the United States.
"I participated as a staff member and explained the development story. Afterwards, fans enthusiastically shared their stories with us. I knew in my head that G-SHOCK had fans, but I hadn't really realized how many there were. I felt I couldn't let these people down," Ibe recalls, recalling that during the G-SHOCK boom, he was so busy making the watch that he couldn't even think about branding.
"When the boom died down, we realized we hadn't communicated anything. So we started saying that G-SHOCK isn't just a fashion watch, but a product with a development story." Since 2008, G-SHOCK has grown into a global brand. Symbolic of this is the 35th anniversary model made of solid gold, which was released in December 2018.
"I've always been interested in what the upper limit of digital technology is. I was able to find out for the first time with a solid gold G-SHOCK during the 35th anniversary. Of course, the material has value, but a price of over 700 million yen is just insane. G-SHOCK originally started out as a watch that anyone could buy. But now we're able to offer models at prices that are out of reach."
The 40th anniversary has just begun. G-SHOCK has grown into a major brand, and we are sure they will unveil some amazing new products this year.
Ibe Kikuo was asked to name three unforgettable G-SHOCKs. One was the original DW-5000C (1983). Molding the urethane was difficult, and he spent time at a partner company working from morning until night. The other was the second-generation DW-5500C (1985), also known as the G-SHOCK II. It was an even larger watch than the G-SHOCK. And finally, there was the MR-G (1996) with its metal case and bracelet. The round case was the MRG-100, and the square case was the MRG-110. These were the watches that marked the beginning of Casio's transformation into a comprehensive manufacturer.
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