When Kikuo Ibe was inspired to make the first-ever G-SHOCK four decades ago, few would have figured that the Casio lodestone would eventually become a stylistic icon. Originally founded on three basic principles — to have a battery that lasts 10 years, to survive a 10-meter drop, and to have 100m of water resistance — the first G-SHOCK in 1983, the DW-5000C-1A, has been returning this year in celebration of the brand’s 40th anniversary. And thankfully, the watchmaker hasn’t forgotten about the stainless steel cases.
While the majority of G-SHOCKs today feature a resin case material, the DW-5000 from ‘83 was encased in stainless steel. To match wits with the original, G-SHOCK is bringing back the timepiece in the form of the new DW5040PG-1 as part of the new Recrystallized Series. The collection also features two Full Metal 5000 watches in the form of the gold-colored GMW-B5000PG and silver-colored GMW-B5000PS, the latter of which is also enhanced with titanium carbide coating. All three new pieces feature stainless steel construction that uses a recrystallization treatment to add a specific pattern to look like broken pieces of metal. As a result, no two watches are the exact same. And for the first time, the steel undergoes a deep-layer hardening process which makes these cases three times harder than regular stainless steel.
Last month, G-SHOCK released the GW5000U-1, which served as an updated version of the DW-5000C. However, the new black DW5040PG-1 from the Recrystallized Series is more aesthetically accurate to the original watch from ‘83, including the brick pattern around the outside of the dial. As for the silver B5000PS, it features an inverted LCD display (meaning it sports a black background with gray digits), while the B5000PG is the first gold version of the B5000 model to have a non-inverted LCD display in five years.
No word yet on an American release, but the Recrystallized Series watches will be available on G-SHOCK’s Japan site on April 21 with prices starting at ¥38,500 (~$294).
