40 Years Later, the Original Casio G-Shock Watch Is Back With Solar Power and More Accurate Timekeeping

April will mark the 40th day of remembrance of Casio secrete one of the most recognizable and enduring blade in digital watches : the G - cushion . And because everything old is new and cool again , to commemorate the occasion , thecompany will be releasing an updated versionof the original DW-5000C G - Shock mannikin with somewelcome modernistic upgrades .

The idea for the G - Shock vigil was deport in 1981 when a Casio railroad engineer require to make a horologe that could not only pull through the cliff that broke his forefather ’s pocket vigil but a bead from a tallness of 32 feet . It also call for to be water - repellent up to depths of 328 feet ( 10 legal community ) and be able-bodied to race for 10 twelvemonth before ask a battery swap .

That was a tall decree in the early eighties , but the original G - Shock mannequin managed to save on all those functioning specs thanks to some innovative over - engineering . The lechatelierite crystal and the electronics inside the spotter were case in 10 layers of protection including pencil eraser , unsullied sword , and a float froth cradle that helped take in the cushion of a drop . Even the scout ’s push button and LCD screen door were connected to the home electronics using flexible cablegram with surplus slackness so components could move around when bump or else of getting yanked out of connection and requiring repairs .

Image:Casio

The raw Casio GW5000U-1 is n’t an precise knockoff of the original DW-5000C — vintage digital watch accumulator would n’t be happy if it was — but it looks close enough to gratify retro nostalgia . Functionally , it ’s more or less the same as the original , with a segmented LCD display depict the time and escort , plus other functionality including a stopwatch , a timekeeper , world time , five everyday alarum , and an LED backlight .

Upgrades on the new GW5000U-1 include an antenna that can get signals from six radio stations that broadcast around the worldly concern allowing the lookout to set the current time itself and maintain precise timekeeping . A rechargeable battery charges from light , with solar panels integrated into the lookout man ’s face . On a full charge , it will run for about 10 months without being exposed to spark , or up to 22 months if hive away in darkness and the baron - bring through fashion enabled . The newfangled model ’s water resistance has also been boosted to 666 feet .

TheCasio GW5000U-1 is presently number for $ 300on the company ’s web site , but it does n’t appear to be usable for literal leverage just yet . It ’s doubtful it ’s sold out already , but like last year’sOmega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch , which is still difficult to regain almost a year later , there ’s a good probability retro collectors are going to be eager to snatch these up .

Image: Casio