Can you actually believe that it’s been 40 years since the first-ever G-SHOCK watch was introduced to the world? In celebration of the 40th Anniversary, G-SHOCK is taking fans on a journey back in time to see how far they’ve come and what everyone should be looking forward to in the future.
Not only that, but we got the opportunity to fly over to Bali, Indonesia to celebrate with G-SHOCK for their amazing milestone and new releases at their grand “SHOCK THE WORLD” event at Potato Head Resort! Here’s basically what went down during the fun-filled weekend trip:
40th Anniversary Campaign
The 40th-anniversary celebration unveiled the brand’s evolution with campaigns such as “That’s Tough,” an exploration of the new brand concept redefining ‘Toughness.’ During the media conference on Day 1 of the event, G-SHOCK presented the ‘Dear Younger Me’ campaign, featuring the only and only Kikuo IBE, the Father and Founder of G-SHOCK.
In a heartwarming video, IBE recounts his journey and the challenges he faced while creating the first-ever G-SHOCK watch. The campaign is meant to inspire users to reflect on what ‘Tough’ means to them, emphasizing resilience and determination. The watch branch also launched special anniversary models, including the GCW-B5000UN, a carbon edition watch, which inherits the iconic form of the very first G-SHOCK, an exclusive G-D001, an 18K Gold model as part of the Dream Project #2, developed in collaboration with CASIO’s R&D team and AI assistance.
Collab with Rich Brian
With G-SHOCK’s unrivalled legacy, the brand connected with Indonesian singer Rich Brian, who is also an esteemed label mate at 88rising, to reinterpret a timepiece of his choice. The watch Brian gravitated towards is the rugged GA-2100. The singer’s reinterpretation is inspired by a guitar he fell in love with as a young boy in Indonesia and even the colour choices are reminiscent of said childhood guitar.
To complete the design, Brian’s signature adorns the case back, almost as a dedication to his younger self. In a way, his reinterpretation serves as a reminder of his origins and unrelenting pursuit of partisanship. What you see is never what you get with Brian.
“SHOCK THE WORLD ’23” Grand Finale
After introducing us to their latest releases and collaborations, it was time to party! Guests from ASEAN countries were treated to special performances by Indonesian superstars starting with the very handsome and talented Warren Hue and ending with the fabulous, TikTok-viral songstress NIKI. The night didn’t necessarily end with these two as guests partied the night away accompanied by fun, upbeat music by 3 DJs.
Sadly, we had to leave the next morning but we definitely enjoyed our time at the G-SHOCK event at Potato Head Resort. Congratulations G-SHOCK on their 40th anniversary!
