Gifts to give, what should they be?
If you’re thinking of watches, let them be G.
*As a full disclaimer, I was writing this piece on G-Shocks on its own to publish today, and then I got the email this morning about the Cyber Week Giveaways and obviously had to include that here. I even wrote that little poem about it up there (I know, I know…adorable right). Every day brings a new gift, and I unashamedly love free stuff, so there you have it. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming*
G-Shocks are one of the most interesting intersection points of watch enthusiasm that exist today. The brand snobs, the casuals, the chronograph-heads, the desk-divers, the dress-it-impress-its, the Swiss-onlys, the anything-but-Swissers, the quartzers, the anti-quartzers…everyone (okay, statistically speaking this is impossible, but it’s a deliberate generalization so give me a break) loves, or at least has a soft spot for, G-Shock. I will admit that it took me longer than most to get on the G-Shock train, but that had very little to do with the watches themselves and everything to do with the fact that the guys I knew in high school who wore them were absolute d*ckheads. That’s probably a subject for a future article - how a brief association with someone and something can significantly change one’s perception of both - but not for now. Now, I’m a converted G-Shock fanboy, eagerly awaiting every new drop and release no matter what the pattern or collaboration. I currently have three in my collection:
G-Shock DW-6900: John Mayer x Hodinkee
G-Shock DW-6900 LU-3
G-Shock GM-5600MF-2: Midnight Fog
I don’t quite know what it is about these things, especially given my tendency to lean towards smaller, dressier watches, but having a few G-Shocks is just fun. Pure (and mostly cheapish) fun. My first G-Shock was, somewhat oddly, the first John Mayer x Hodinkee collaboration. I saw it pop up in December of 2020, and something about the color tones really captured my attention. It wasn’t outlandish, but rather was more muted and made use of specific colors for emphasis only; my previous impressions of G-Shocks were that they could only be these giant-looking, somewhat ridiculous looking wrist protectors (trademark that). But this one looked different to me, and while part of that was because I’d never really bothered to look through the G-Shock website, part of it was because I’d not yet been drawn into the brand, which on a larger scale is Casio. I’ve been a drummer for most of my life, and having some musical influence in this watch definitely appealed to me. John Mayer noted that his old Casio keyboards played a part in how he designed the watch, and like all good marketing should, well, it sold me. I was lucky enough to pick up two of these in the limited Hodinkee site drop (one for me, one for a good friend of mine - shoutout to Bryce!), and after that, I was hooked.
Getting this watch opened up a whole new side of the watch community to me; call me ignorant, but I just hadn’t yet grasped the scale of the global obsession that surrounds G-Shock watches. It was one of things where until I had one, I didn’t get it (cue Borat saying you will never get this you will never get this but then he *get* this, high five). I took an instant liking to how light the watch was, despite its size, and how the light blue accents played in different types of light. I got myself some strap adapters at the inspiration of Suguru Nishioka (@garactacle on Instagram) and started to find more ways to bring out the watch’s character:
Don’t get me wrong, I like having the watch in its original configuration. But being able to treat the watch like any of my other watches and change up the straps was a big plus point in swaying me towards more thoroughly enjoying the brand. Right now, the J-Shock is back on its OG strap, while my other DW6900 is rocking a nato:
This watch was a gift from a friend I made on the watch side of Instagram (Anthony over at @watches_514), and showed me another side of the G-Shock watchfam that I, again somewhat ignorantly, didn’t know existed: people are trading and gifting these things all over the place all the time! I started to see more and more watch swaps and exchanges and giveaways and basically just a plethora of ways that people were spreading the G-Shock love. Part of the reason you won’t see this with a ton of other brands is, let’s be honest, the price; at a range of less than $100 to most often $400-500, it’s a lot easier on the wallet to toss these things around than to start gifting a Fifty Fathoms to all of your friends. The other part is that there really could be a G-Shock out there for everyone. What I used to see as a turn off from the brand started to become a turn on…wait…no not like that…ugh you know what I mean.
For example, the third G-Shock that I have from the Midnight Fog series:
It’s sleek, it’s thin, and it sits easily on most wrist sizes. It’s resin and metal, which is a material combo I never knew I needed, and it’s so stealthily cool. Especially in the summer, when leather straps get gross from sweating your life out, or if you live somewhere with flash rain storms (something that, oddly, New England and the Caribbean have in common), something like this can hang no matter the conditions. And as much as I love an automatic or manual movement, and those will always dominate my collection, I do love a quick grab-and-go digital watch that I don’t have to set or worry about.
Looking at these three G’s, if you’re thinking, “wow Mike, literally hundreds of amazing color options, and yet you went with your best impression of 50 Shades of Grey” …guilty as charged. But that’s the beauty of these watches; even though each of these pieces I’ve collected seem to be a variation of a theme (and you could be right), there are so many minute differences that give them their own individual character and wrist presence. I’ve seen collectors with literally a hundred of these things, and while, even for an enthusiast, that seems a bit bonkers to me, I can see how someone would get there after years of collecting the details. Will I get there? No, especially if I want to not end up divorced. Can I guarantee I won’t get any more than I currently have? Also no - a guy’s gotta live, right?
If you have a G-Shock, or two, or ten, or a hundred, then you’ll understand the appeal and I apologize for enabling you to buy more of them. If you don’t have one? Well, consider this your formal invitation to join the club. There is, truly, a G-Shock for everyone.
And if you’re still not convinced (hey, it happens), but there’s at least an interest in knowing more about why people are fanatical about these watches, I’ve got some more reading on the history of G-Shock here that I think you will find interesting:
https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a82850/casio-g-shock-history/
https://www.fratellowatches.com/evolution-of-the-casio-g-shock-watches/#gref
Lastly, in the spirit of the holiday season, gifts, and getting free stuff, I’ll be doing a December giveaway right here for the blog! I’ll be putting up a few different things like straps, cases, and even a watch or two. Consider this your fair notice in advance to keep an eye on your inbox, and I promise that it will literally be the easiest, least demanding giveaway you’ve ever entered. More to come at a later date :)
As always, wherever you are, and wherever you’re going, many thanks for stopping by.
My g shocks are my go too tool watches if I’m doing anything practical it’s the G ……. Or anything to do with the kids 😀😀😀😀
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Love the article 👌