G-SHOCK’s Latest Iconic Styles Series Replicates Retro Throwbacks Down to a T
Dive into the brand’s archive featuring signature pieces spanning the early 1980s and new millennium.
G-SHOCK’s Iconic Styles series is a walk down memory lane. The latest batch of timepieces from the Japanese watchmaker harkens back as early as 1983, spanning the new millennium, a period of rapid innovation and timeless ingenuity that framed the brand’s most iconic models, starting with the foundational DW-5000C. Meticulously, each watch in this collection, including the DW-5000, DW-5600, DW-6900, GA-110 and GA-2100, replicates its original predecessor down to subtle nuances perhaps most noticeable to brand loyalists. For diehard collectors, the Iconic Styles series signals the brand’s longstanding design history with retro throwbacks that perform good as new.
Hypebeast: Nayquan Shuler
Hypebeast: Nayquan Shuler
Hypebeast: Nayquan Shuler
Hypebeast: Nayquan Shuler
Hypebeast: Nayquan Shuler
G-SHOCK approaches this collection as a faithful preservationist. These models were first popularized by urban sporting subcultures, from the likes of surfers, skateboarders and parkour enthusiasts. Later, the brand garnered a celebrity following propelled by cinema, hip-hop and rap behemoths, and cultural clout from some of the most prominent fashion brands dominating the early to mid-‘90s.
The signature octagonal face design of the digital DW-5000R-1A is reminiscent of the DW-5000C, which introduced a shock-resistant structure. Like the original, the case utilizes stainless steel, and the band and bezel newly incorporate a bio-based resin that reduces environmental impact. Its design concept dutifully reproduces the original band length and the exact placement of dimples accenting the bezel. Brand colors like red, yellow and blue champion technologies that aid in water and shock resistance, and an iconic brick pattern adorns the dial display. Nostalgic elements carry over to the mirror-polished screw-lock caseback, which showcases “SHOCK Resistant” lettering. The watch includes a multi-function alarm, flash alert and a Super Illuminator LED backlight. The screw-lock case and brick pattern are subtle design factors excluded in the second-generation DW-5600RL-1.
The digital DW-6900RL-1, by contrast, departs from the square construction of the DW-5600 line with an eye-catching circular watch face and spotlights another milestone moment in 1995 in which the brand debuted a Triple Graph display featuring a front button. Circular dials visually work in tandem with the watch face, positioned atop an LCD face brought to life with heritage coating, printing and surface finishes with bio-based resin components rounding out the case, bezel and band.
When the GA-110 arrived in 2010, it retained the circular face design of the DW-6900. The GA-110RL-1A introduces an analog-digital display bolstered by an oversized case, with rivet-style detailing at the bezel. The GA-110 range is notable for adopting a steampunk-inspired design. It features a bio-based resin build, a millisecond stopwatch, a speedometer and JIS class-1 magnetic resistance. Lastly, the GA-2100 line completes the collection, bringing a streamlined analog-digital display in a hyper-sleek format derived from the original DW-5000.
All four models feature a countdown timer, a stopwatch, 20-bar water resistance, shock resistance and additional specs unique to each line. The Iconic Styles collection encapsulates the spirit of toughness reminiscent of Kikuo Ibe’s everlasting DW-5000C. As classic silhouettes, these models complement contemporary fashion trends while showcasing a design ethos rooted in rugged aesthetics and practical utility.
Shop the nostalgic collection now by visiting G-SHOCK’s website. Learn more about the brand’s most recent releases here.
