Thread: PC meets the inventor of G-Shock, Kikuo Ibe

My experience with G-Shocks has been an interesting and fun journey.

Before I really got into watches and horology, I wore quartz watches for years and years, mostly a Citizen quartz watch. They were simply a way to tell the time.

When I got into watches big time in 2015, I got into this whole "watchonista thang" where I had strict requirements: it had to be a mechanical (no quartz), it had to metal-cased, and it had to have simple, clean and legible design. I quickly became a big fan of "tool watches" and particularly so of the no-nonsense Sinn Spezialuhren German tool watches. Here's a pic of my Sinn 556A...


I also bought a beautiful Tudor Black Bay "Blue" with ETA movement and the curved "Self-Winding" text on the dial....

These, and a few other "mechanicals", became my most-worn watches.

Currently, my most-worn mechanical is my Sinn U50 S BS, which is the Sinn U50 with a beautiful blue gradient dial and black Tegimented case and bracelet. This specific reference was limited to only 500 pieces worldwide, and I have #309/500.


Coupla years ago, though, on a lark, I bought a G-Shock Mudmaster for a great price that was on sale at Amazon. I got it, and what's funny was it was everything I told myself for years that I did not want in a watch: it was big, it was quartz, and it was...plastic! And...I found I f**king LOVED it! :eek:

It synced time on the G-Shock app on the phone, and it has a ton of functions, including Altimeter, Barometer, Stopwatch, timer, alarms, etc.
I would wear it when out cycling as I did not want to crash on the road racing bicycle and damage a mechanical movement, and I also at the track when I doing racing photography, etc. So, with that, I became a big G-Shock fan...

Here's my pic of my "original" G-Shock, my Mudmaster...


Lately, when riding the bicycle, I've been wearing this GM-2100cb-3A, which is a metal-cased version of the enormously successful G-Shock GA-2100/GM-2100 "Casioak" series, as it's smaller and lighter than the big Mudmaster.


Long story short: despite all the "silly stuff" I used to tell myself about the watches I would wear, I became a big fan of G-Shocks.

So, when I got an email from Topper Jewelers in Burlingame that they were having meet 'n greet with the inventor of the Casio G-Shock, Kikuo Ibe, I jumped on signing up for that event, and attended the event last evening.

The event was a sellout and Topper were wonderful hosts, providing snacks, beverages, beer, and cocktails for attendees.

The highlight of the event was the inventor of the G-Shock, Kikuo Ibe, signing the history of G-Shock book, and giving us a talk. Ibe-San described how, after an heirloom mechanical watch he had been given by this father fractured into pieces simply dropping from his wrist onto the floor, and he embarked on a mission working at Casio to make a watch that could sustain a fall to the ground and not break.



He spent months and months and developed over 200 prototypes and dropping them out of a 3rd story window at Casio HQ onto the pavement below, only to have them all fail.




He was then at a playground watching a girl bounce a rubber ball, and hit upon the idea of functionally placing the watch movement inside a cushioning system (he visualized the watch movement actually inside the ball itself), and finally hit on a design that actually worked.



And with, the famous G-Shock was born.

The G-Shock became enormously successful as a watch that would simply work and not break, and no surprise, G-Shocks quickly became very widely used by millions of customers who simply wanted a watch that would work and not break, as well as by firefighters, Navy SEALS, and soldiers, fighter jocks, and "operators" and in various armed and special forces around the world.

Topper was also offering the book describing the history of G-Shock if you bought a G-Shock priced over $585.



And, while I was there I fell in love with the newest Mudmaster, and bought the new GWG-B1000-3A, which has the military green strap, and like all Mudmasters, a ton of functions including "waypoint" navigation (i.e., it will direct you back to a starting point, e.g. your car, when out on a hike).

Ibe-San signed my Mudmaster watch canister and also my G-Shock history book...


Unlike my original Mudmaster, this one has a metal bezel, case, and "case bumpers" with DLC (Diamond-Like Coating) and ceramic composite bumpers at 9 and 3 O'clock for the crown and sensor.

As you might guess...it's everything I told myself all those years I didn't want in a watch and...I f**king love it.

Here's some pics of my new G-Shock: I composited the G-Shock factory photos onto a different background just to add some interest to the pic...




Lastly, I composited one onto an outdoor scene, just to add some real-world use context to the image...


So....I've come full circle: started with a Mudmaster, and ended up with a Mudmaster.

Originally Posted by RDSChicago

Great post. Very informative and makes me want to learn about the G-Shock line. What differentiates their lower and higher priced models? I’ve also seen some reporting on their hard to find cult watches. I too am bitten by the watch bug. Thanks for this interesting post!

Basically, function and features. Even the entry level models, e.g. the GA-2100 "CasiOak" series all have features e.g. alarms, timers, stopwatch functions, etc. and then the higher-spec ones, e.g. as the Mudmaster, Flightmaster series, etc. have even more features e.g. waypoint navigation, altimeters, barometers, etc.

Also, as you get higher up in the product lines, e.g. the MR-G lines, e.g. the new Shigeki-Maru, you can get watches with artisanal hand-carved casework and bracelets, all hand-carved in the traditional Japanese style, e.g. the hammertone technique of case finishing, where no two pieces are exactly alike....

Originally Posted by Mikado463

Great read Stephen ! A fellow watch / clock enthusiast here as well. I still have the watch given to me by my Grandparents for my First Communion some 57 years ago, A Rodania 21 jewel 'in-ca-bloc'. My Grandfather, a horologist studied at the Hamilton school back in the thirties. When he passed, I regret to this day that we never held onto his solid oak watch/jewelers bench, grrrrr

here's a pic of my pride and joy, my Great Grandfathers 1888 Waltham / Appleton Tracy, full 'Hunting' case, solid gold

Thanks, Dave. What a wonderful story about your Grandparents, and what a beautiful pocket Waltham pocket watch. Waltham, MA used to be one of the watchmaking "Capitols" of the USA, and IIRC, Hamilton also was originally based there before they were bought by the Swiss SWATCH group.

Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

Originally Posted by Mikado463

just released today .........

Online Ceramics x Hodinkee x G-SHOCK Limited Edition

Yeah, Dave, I knew that was coming; I check in with Hodinkee weekly.

Personally, not a fan of the all-digital "Squares"; I like the "ana-digi" references better.

G-shock also announced two, new all-carbon-fiber Squares at the Topper event last Saturday, reference GCW-8500UN.



Link:
GCW-B5000UN | CASIO

Originally Posted by Hounddog

Great read. Now I have to go look at G-Shocks. Where's the best place to get an overview and who do you use for a retailer? I bought my last G-Shock off of amazon. Thanks for the informative post.

With respect to an "overview", the best place is the Casio G-Shock website itself:
G-SHOCK US Official Website | CASIO

There are lots and lots of different models, all at different price points. Some models you can get for just around 100 bucks or so...e.g. the very popular GA-2100 "Casioak" models: GA2100-1A1 | Black Carbon Fiber Minimalist Men's Watch G-SHOCK | CASIO

You can also find formal reviews at Worn & Wound, Hodinkee, and lots of video reviews on YT for any given reference.

As far as retailers, you can buy off Amazon or right from the G-Shock site. I bought two of the GA-2100s from the G-shock website.

Yep, I bought my first G-Shock off of Amazon, "on a lark", as it were. So glad I did...

Originally Posted by Hounddog

Thanks for the info. The Casio website is better than I recalled. Interesting stuff and an iconic brand.

They're also just really fun. Casio brings a light-hearted and fun sensibility to their product lines. It's very different view to the classic "It has to be Swiss, it has to be mechanical, it has to be a Rolex, Patek, blah, blah, blah" sensibility.

I still have not take my Mudmaster off, BTW...

Originally Posted by Hounddog

Well, G-Shock is having a moment. Now, they're in the New York Times. This article is behind a paywall, but this is (hopefully) an open link that allows access to everyone > Online Ceramics Remakes the Casio G-Shock - The New York Times

Oh, yeah, I got an email from G-Shock about that.