CASIO’S NEW G-SHOCK IS $6,200 AND ARMOR PLATED

The Casio G-Shock is the epitome of the cheap beater watch. The entire line was created with the goal of surviving a 10-meter fall, withstanding 10 atmospheres of water pressure and having a 10-year battery life; most cost less than $500. These attributes have made them the tool watch of choice for those with physically demanding jobs. Yet for 20 years, Casio has been keen to make the G-Shock a premium product in the form of the MR-G series, featuring the brand’s top-of-the-line craftsmanship and engineering. Their latest version, the $6,200 MRGG1000HT Hammer Tone, is its wildest yet.

When 300 MRGG1000HT Hammer Tone watches go on sale in June to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the MR-G, they’ll be fortified using a traditional Japanese metalworking technique called “tsuiki” — a process of shaping thin pieces of metal through meticulous hammering, which has been traditionally used on Japanese armor and copperware. Casio employed the skill of Bihou Asano, a third-generation artisan in the field, to perform the tsuiki metalworking on the Hammer Tone, featured prominently on the “Oboro-gin” (silver-copper alloy) bezel and bracelet links. The rest of the watch is made from DLC-coated titanium.