I think everybody has been shocked by the terrible images of Japan during the earthquake and the following tsunami. I know some people living in Japan and I recently have been there, so you can imagine my mind was with my friends there and not with writing a new 50 Gs article. Luckily many people I know have reported they are safe, including people from Utsunomiya and Niigata (where a severe aftershock took place early Saturday morning). Of course my thoughts are with the Japanese people and specially the people who are lost or have lost their loved ones.
My first intention is to write a smaller article than usual, but I’ll see where it ends. Today’s G-Shock is the DW-8500B-1 Codename.
The DW-8500 Codename is a member of the Master of G series. It is a bit strange name for a models from this series, because all other models end with man in their name. The DW-8500 was released in November 1995 in Japan.
Left to right: DW-8500 Japan Domestic version, DW-8500 Overseas version and the DW-8800 Codename Cipher.
It got an update pretty quick after its release, as the more common and better known DW-8800 Codename Cipher was released exactly a year later.
If you have read my 9th G-Shock article on 50 Gs well last week, you might notice that the DW-8500 was released at the same time as the DW-8400 Mudman was released. The Mudman and Codename have quite a similar look. They both have the same bezel and probably have the same case under it. This means that the DW-8500 is also Mud Resistant.
From there you find differences on both models. The strap of the Codename is different from most G-Shocks. The top layer seems to be a kind of woven fabric. The fabric is left out in the middle, where the holes of the buckle are. Also on the buckle side a part in the middle is left out. This gives the strap a kind of two tone look, although in this case both the fabric as the resin are black. Pretty cool is that the upper display has another background color than the lower display.
I happen to have two versions of this model. The original Japanese release and an overseas model. The differences are as usual. In the Japanese model, the name CODENAME is written under the display and the water resistance is 20 BAR. The overseas model has ILLUMINATOR written under the display and the water resistance is 200M. You might think they were made at different times and/or different factories, but both models are made at JAPAN M and both displays show JAPAN O very small on the lower left side of the face.
Actually I have 2 of this Codename version by accident. In January 2007 I bought a bunch of watches from a good friend in Chicago. One of these was this Codename, although I probably was more interested in other watches. Since I kept this watch along with a gold version of the Mudman, I think that was the main watch I bought. Anyway, I totally forgot I had this black Codename (to be complete, I have also bought a red version of this model many years ago).
In June my friend in Chicago had again some watches for sale. I was very much interested in the black DW-8500 Codename. I was very happy when it arrived and had put it aside in the box where I had put the other watches that I bought earlier in January. When I took it out for a photo session, I noticed the box didn’t contain one, but two DW-8500’s. I couldn’t be much happier, especially when I found out they were both different versions of the same model.
Considering the Dive Timer of the Frogman is a kind of modified Stopwatch function and the Mudman is a kind of DW-6900 with a Mud Resist casing, the Codename was the first model in the Master of G line that had real special functions. You might think that the Codename is a kind of spy watch, but after learning the manual (module 1441) well, you’ll notice this models can display emergency codes.
These Emergency codes are visible when the upper right button is pressed. The six most important emergency codes and their explanation scroll through the upper (Date-) display when activated. The codes are from taken ”The Convention on International Civil Aviation, Annex 12, Sixth Edition, Amendments 11 (Search & Rescue)”. The purpose of the codes is that they are displayed on the ground, so that it’s clearly visible for rescue aircrafts. So if you have booked tickets for Oceanic Airlines, Flight 815, it might become handy to strap on your DW-8500 Codename. You might need it in the near future.
If you are really interested in this Amendments, in the newest edition it’s Annex 12 “Search and Rescue” and Annex 13: “Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation” (containing Amendment 11 “Search & Rescue”). They cost respectively $20.- and $47.- when ordered on-line at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). You can buy the paper version for a much reasonable price at local authorizes publishers (I can even order them here in The Netherlands).
The Codename has a “Contact Mode” and an “ID Mode”. These modes share a memory of 20 data sets. In Contact Mode you can input 8 characters in the name area (Day display) and 12 numbers in the number area (time display). The input of characters and numbers works a bit like setting time. If you are going to use this feature I hope you only need Katakana as text, else it might be possible that you have to scroll through a lot of characters. In total 98 different character can be chosen (the characters luckily can be scrolled forward and reversed). With the Mud Resist structure it’s not very easy to input data to the memories as the buttons are quite much harder to push than a normal G-Shock with normal buttons.
The Contact Mode is of course the same as the Tele Memo mode, found on many G-Shocks around the end 90’s and begin ‘00’s. It’s like a personal telephone book.
The ID mode is pretty similar to the Contact Mode. There are already three built in ID Modes: PASSPORT, LICENCE and CREDIT. Not sure if it is wise to store your credit card number in your watch though. The input procedure is the same as the Contact Mode.
In 2011 the Contact Mode and ID Mode are totally obsolete. In the past 15 years mobile telephones are even common in the most remote parts of the world and the current phones are more like pocket computers which are capable of much more than you could wish on a early ‘90s computer (let go the amount of memory on a single smart phone nowadays). Back in 1995 however could be a handy feature. I remember back in 2001 I had some telephone number programmed in a Tele Memo, just in case. Now you don’t even know telephone number anymore. Just save under a name and scroll through your contacts to find your contacts again, even with facultative additional address, birth date, e-mail addresses and websites. How did we ever survive in the early 90’s?
Next mode you’ll find on the Codename is the “Vital Statistics” mode. In this mode you can input your name, birth date and blood type (AB0 and Rhesus) . I think the idea is very good, but if it works in real, I’ll have my doubts. If I would be hit by a car, wearing this watch, I doubt that medical emergency workers would look at my watch and say: “Hey, here are his Vital Statistics”, but hey, if you don’t input your data, it will be missed for sure. Just in case, my blood type is 0 neg. The ideal donor.
Further the Codename has a simple Alarm Function and a 24 hour Stopwatch function. The Codename has a “Backlight Alarm” that can be toggled on and off. Off course the Backlight Alarm is normally called “Flash Function”, but like the Contact Code, “The Names have been changed to protect the Innocent”. When activated, the backlight flashes when an alarm sound is produced (except when scrolling through the modes) and a small star like symbol (photo below) appears in the display.
A hidden feature on this watch is the “Display Mode”. This mode is sometimes used as the watch is on display in a shop window. When activated, press MODE button for about three seconds until it beeps, the Emergency Codes scroll in the top display, instead of showing the day. It looks cool, but in this mode you can’t scroll through the watch’s other functions. Therefore you have to leave Display Mode by pressing the Mode button again for about 3 seconds.
I think that the Codename is a very good looking brother of the DW-8400 Mudman, that I coincidentally featured here on 50 Gs a week ago. The special straps give the watch even a tougher look in my opinion, though the straps are pretty stiff. They may become looser when wearing the watch longer, or probably you also get used to it. Whenever strapped on, it feels solid on your wrist. It is packed with features, which are more gadgets than useful for daily life, though back in 1995 the Contact Mode could have been a handy and useful feature. The backlight is as bright as the Mudman, DW-6900 and DW-6600 models, which were about the first models which had the Electro Luminescent Backlight.
Although its successor, the DW-8800 Codename Cipher, is pretty common and not too hard to find, it not that easy to track down a DW-8500 Codename. Still , if you are really hunting down one, it must be not too difficult to find, as it was an international release. As it is not a very sought after model, you might be able to get your hands on one for a reasonable price ($75 - $125 range for a good condition to NOS basic model). Like the Mudman, bear in mind this is a pretty old model and that the button parts tend to crack when used frequently as the bezel gets older. Both mine are in pretty good, used shape and I have paid probably around $70 - $80 for each of them, in a batch of other G-Shocks.
The final article of 50 Gs must be a very special G-Shock. When starting in January I already had several G-Shocks in my mind. Quite some yellow models by the way. Men In Yellow Frogman, yellow Raysman Yachttimer and "of course", my Codename by Aurèle. I have 5 of them! I would not be surprised if this will be one of the largest articles with the most photo's. I still remember the auction of the first one. "Agnes b G-Shock". I had no idea who Agnes b was, but the striking yellow color immediately draw my attention. Sightly used, in good condition. Although not in original box, the watch looked almost like new. A perfect watch for short sleeve shirts. Nowhere the name Agnes b was to be found on the watch itself. The tag on the double Velcro watchband says "Collector by Aurèle". A search lead to Marc Aurèle, but strangely there was nothing to find about a designer with this name. Only a painter of the 19th century and some kind of king around the 2nd century. Both not very much probable the designers of this watch. Actually for years I was convinced the name of the designer was Marc Aurèle. When I later got one complete in a box the name was even written on the sticker, along with the announcement that only 1200 were sold in Germany (1200 stück Bundesweit). For writing this article I wanted to know more about the designer. When a search for Marc Aurèle didn't give the satisfying answer again, I tried different key words.Marc Aurèle and Agnes b didn't give results... Why was that name linked to Agnes b? Strange. Other things first. The battery was weak, so first I replaced the battery. This watch has a very beautiful back with all kinds of texts and a dog etched on it. When the battery was replaced I decided to google on Aurèle and parts of the texts (antecedent comportement). Bingo! It lead straight to Aurèle's website. Great Flash design and very informative. The deep yellow color, the same as that is used for the Codename, is found back on a lot of his design, paintings and sculptures. I must be right on track. Unfortunately the website is completely in French, a beautiful language, but unfortunately French was also my weakest subject at school. While I got straight A's for chemistry, physics, biology, math, and economics, I was already happy if I managed to get an E- for French. I even had to stay at school on my free afternoon, writing over the French vocabulaire. It didn't help much. I'm just probably weak in my languages.My French slightly improved along the years during my (almost) yearly vacations to France, but still it was not sufficient enough to understand all the texts. Luckily it wasn't only texts on the website. For hours I have enjoyed the eye candy. Specially the T-Shirts that he made in Agnes b's "Artist series". Well, that connection is confirmed. Also I like a lot of his dog sculptures and his design for the "Lost Dog" museum for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, was even food for a friend of me, who is a teacher in architecture. This museum is a gigantic yellow dog (80 meters, 240 ft) that rises in the Shanghai skyline. Inside the museum, visitors can visit various expositions of contemporary art. Of course the G-Shock and Baby-G he designed in 1997.This still made me wonder why I couldn't find this website with the keywords "Marc and Aurèle". The architect of a remarkable building of the skyline of Shanghai must be a known man?I read a lot of press releases, but the name Marc was never mentioned. Only his last name is his trademark (Aurèle by Aurèle) .Finally I found a piece on the French Wikipedia. His name is not Marc, but Ricard (October 24th, 1963). Finally I found it, assuming this Wikipedia entry tells the truth. As it is part of a series Contemporary Art , I think it's very reliable. In 1986 Aurèle sees a poster on a lamppost. It was a poster for a "Bob the Lost Dog". He thought it was a good metaphor for our own lives, as we are confronted with wars, pollution, epidemics, etc. This dog, a sort of pitbull, now returns in a lot of Aurèle's work. From paintings, statues, T-shirt designs for Agnes b to a collaboration G-Shock and a Baby-G model for Casio. Aurèle also uses a lot of phrases. As he claims to be inspired by contemporary artists like Warhol, he likes to add political statements. I don't think you can call these statements, like "You are wonderful and I love you" and "Le despoir est une insult a l'avenir" very political, they are more statements of life. Some of these statements are written on the box. The most eye catching is "Positive Yellow". In Germany this model was even called "Positive Yellow". I think "Positive Yellow" is a very strong phrase. When wearing this G-Shock, or a yellow Raysman, Riseman, Gaussman or Frogman, it seems to give so much positive energy. I believe Casio had adopted the term for their yellow models in the late 90's. Enough background for now. I can very much recommend to watch Aurèles website. Lets take a closer look at the watch of subject. Like the recent A.D.M.A. Model here, this is also a DW-8800 Codename Cypher model. Originally the watch is sold in a box with a thick multi language manual and a hexagonal box. Some people call these boxes Haru cans.I have no idea what Haru means and if this is an official name or Japanese nickname. Between 1997 and 2000 these boxes were used to pack every G-Shock sold. The basic boxes have the "G" logo printed in the middle. The box coming with this Aurèle model is of cource designed by him. The big "G" logo is still there, but he creativily made it "O! Genial". A big surprise if you open de box. Normally you only find the watch in the hexagonal box, the box of the Aurèle G-Shock is packed full. While the watch comes originally with a double Velcro watchband, an extra set leather/cloth straps are included. If you want to change the straps, you need a springbar tool, so a small springbar tool is included. I'm not sure if you want to use it. It looks rather fragile. I rather use one of my own for that, but it's a nice gesture from Casio. Wait, it's not over yet, Casio also packed a dust cloth and all stuff barely fits in the box. One of the most striking, though probably pretty useless function, is the Morse function. The Aurèle model has the 1443 (overseas) module, while the A.D.M.A. has the 1444 (domestic) module. Therefore playing with the Aurèle Codename Morse function is for us a lot easier. While you have to scroll through all Katakana characters before reaching alphanumeric characters on the 1444 module, the 1443 module only has alphanumeric characters. The functions are the same as the A.D.M.A.models. Contact mode (Telememo), Mission mode (appointment alarm), Morse mode, Vital Statistics, one alarm and a stopwatch.The Codename Cipher is packed with features. To explain the Morse mode features I made a small video. Probably this video tells more than the, so called, 1000 words.
The video also shows the beautiful bright EL-backlight with the dog and a heart in it. I hope you enjoyed the 50 Gs series. Though it took me some articles to get into writing, I must say I really enjoyed the research and writing. Good Casio showed up with "G-Shock Perfect Search" (GPS). It helped me very much. Please leave comments and support if you would like a second series. First of all, my arm must heal. BTW, it seems someone found Bob on Queens Blvd. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New G-Year. Best wishes,
Finally I found a piece on the French Wikipedia. His name is not Marc, but Ricard (October 24th, 1963). Finally I found it, assuming this Wikipedia entry tells the truth. As it is part of a series Contemporary Art , I think it's very reliable.
