G-Shock #7 & #8: High Tech Team Tough

The final carbon fiber G. And it is a Project Team Tough!!! Woo-hoo! It came out August 2013 and it was a complete surprise. There had already been a Project Team Tough release (DW-5030C from the Resist Black wave) and Casio had never released more than 1 in an anniversary before. Wait, it gets a little wilder. For the 30th Anniversary, Casio used the screwback chassis from the GW-5000 for the Project Team Toughs. Very high quality indeed. Like the GW-5000 it is a stainless steel screwback case. Oddly, this one is not serialized where the GW-5000 is. Proven and durable, and unlocks a readily available cheap to source spare resin should you want to set the carbon fiber aside.While people have done it and it does look great, this article is about the carbon fiber G-Shock. Not quite as useful if we just set it aside now is it? The good news is that the carbon straps are very durable and tough to cosmetically damage. As you may guess, this is the first Project Team Tough and first screwback to receive carbon straps.

Speaking of the straps if you read about the 30 Stars brothers DW-6930D and GW-M5630D than you probably have a solid idea of what these straps look like. While they are indistinguishable from each other I will still post photos but not as much verbage about them. I do really enjoy the Gold lettering and stars underneath the clear urethane resin.

No, what really sets this one apart from the others is the screen. Where the GW-M5630D used a green mirror-like display, this one uses the micro-dot display which puts it in with some esteemed company. Such as the GW-T5030C. It looks like the surface of an LP or vinyl record, and it is obvious with a little light. I have tried to capture it here. It looks like a 1mm deep puddle of gold! And because of the stainless steel case it is obviously the heaviest carbon fiber G at 83 grams. While not exactly heavy for a watch, or even a G-Shock, it is very noticeable vs other squares. It lends a presence to the one wearing it and you rarely forget you have it on the wrist. And then you look at it and it is a treat.I’ve been talking about this screwback, it is time to show it. Gold colored like the rest of this series, the stamping is a treat. Of course it perfectly matches the screws and buttons and lettering.

As for functions it has EL backlight with afterglow, flash alert that can work in conjunction with the buzzer for alarms and hourly chimes. Getting ahead of myself there. 1/100 second stopwatch for the first 60 minutes then whole seconds after out to 24 hours. The Countdown timer measures in seconds and has a range of 24 hours, settable to the minute. It can also auto-repeat. Multi-function alarm, hourly signal as previously mentioned. Calendar goes out to 2099. 12/24 hour format, and runs on a CR2016.

Original suggested retail was 50,000 yen. Wait. WHAT? Built in markup? Casio get nuts on this one? Nope, crazier than all of that. It was one of TWO Project Team Toughs in the GSET-30. Yes, in the 30th Anniversary Casio brought out a total of 3 Project Team Toughs. In a single year they doubled the number of models released! It also came with a G-Shock figurine just to be over the top. Ready for the other Team Tough?

It is a homage to the original design and to the 10th Anniversary release (DW-1983) and the 20th anniversary release. Differences? As already mentioned this one comes in a GW-5000 screwback case only with a chrome coating that seems very fitting. To this day this is still just such a clean design. The graphics are dialed, the screen Is just extraordinarily crisp. The silver accents (screws, buttons, buckle, and metal keeper) are just perfect. I have absolutely no criticisms of this classically styled G. This is retro done right in my eyes. And again, the resin from the current GW-5000 fits, and probably not that noticeable other than for the keeper. Let’s have a look at that back.

Ready for another weird part? For various reasons many collectors bought the set and then sold off the one they didn’t care for, either the carbon or the classic. If you only want one of these the good news is that many sets are broken apart so it shouldn’t be an issue. More good news? The G-Set30 was also an international release. Which means tons were made. I still think this was easily the best real world collectible of the 30th anniversary (not including the titanium G’s).

Intermezzo #76: Without words. Today's shots.

G-Shock #5 & #6: Carbon, the next generation

OK, maybe “generation” is the wrong term.  After the RM series release in 2010 Casio started putting carbon straps on GW-9300 Mudmen (Japan market release) but never with the clear exterior to show it off.  The G-Shock cognoscenti had to wait until August 2013 and the 4^th wave of the 30^th Anniversary!  Isn’t that odd?  Normally when Casio does a colorway (let’s call the carbon fiber straps a colorway of their own since they were called the RM series) they run it through a few different G’s over a couple of months (say a summer or a winter or whatever).  We only had those TWO Carbon G-Shocks for a little over 3 years!  Crazy!  The Frog?  Ignore that for now, let’s keep focused on actual carbon fiber straps with clear exterior urethane for the identifiers here.

Let me introduce the DW-6930D.  The first ever carbon fiber 6900!  Even crazier?  Still the only non-square carbon fiber G-Shock.  Pretty unique piece from a few different viewpoints right there.  As part of the 4^th wave of the 30^th anniversary it features 30 stars on the end of the strap. Even wilder is how shouty the face is. Gold mirror screen?  Check.   Gold reflective face?  Check.  Mirror gold light button?  Check.  This is the loudest carbon fiber G I’ve seen.

Let’s talk about the features of the DW-6930D before we get into more visual details.   It is 200m water resistant, EL backlight with afterglow.  Multi-function alarm, hourly time signal, can flash with the buzzer for these alerts as well.  1/100^th second stopwatch that will go to 24 hours.  Can do elapsed time, split time, etc.  The countdown timer works on full second intervals and can go to 24 hours as well as an auto-repeat feature.  Full auto calendar out to 2099, and 12/24hr time formats.  The battery?  CR2016 and it has the 3230 module.

Originally released with a suggested price of 24,000 yen this and its brother have some very nice eye candy.  First let’s start with the straps themselves.  On the long strap at the end is the 30 stars.  Wait, look at them again, those little stars have a height and are physical pieces UNDER the urethane resin layer!  You can watch the light reflect of the sides of them.  Further up the strap is the verbage “30^th Anniversary”, again, actual gold lettering under the urethane.  The cosmetics of these carbon fiber G’s are very durable because of all this.

These carbon fibers G’s cosmetics are surprisingly durable.  I have yet to see any yellowing/discoloring of the clear urethane (unlike the clear jelly Glorious Gold wave of the 25^th Anniversary) on any photo of one anywhere.  Since all the graphics and pieces are underneath, there is no stripes to crack or rub off, and they are safe to wear with cuffs as there is no wear marks unlike bright orange or yellow G’s which commonly get black marks from rubbing/contact with clothing.  You can wear these without great worry about them, the best of all worlds and exactly as Casio intended.

Back to the straps.  Over on the short strap near the bezel is the classic “Since 1983” while on the band keeper (which is also carbon) it simply says “G-SHOCK”.  All of the lettering and stars being in gold to go with the theme of this wave.  The gold continues over to the buckle, buttons, screws, and caseback.

The caseback.  Being a 30^th Anniversary G-Shock the caseback is engraved with the infamous Eric Haze 30^th logo.  It is very nice and adds an extra touch that this G is special.  I also like how the caseback matches the screws perfectly.

The brother.  Or the modern version of the RM series, the GW-M5630D.  If you remember, the RM series were kind of a bridge between the GW-M5600 and the GW-M5610.  This one is a 5610 though with the “30” for 30^th anniversary.  We’ll get into features shortly, for now just look at it.

I like how the Green mirror screen offsets the gold accents.  The purple solar panels also somehow match well.  Like the 6930 it shares the straps and coloring of the gold buttons, screws, buckle and caseback.

And have a look at that caseback will you?  Like the RM series this one is serialized as well.  Very unusual indeed as not many G-Shocks get this treatment.  Mind you, this numbering refers to a batch date, not and individual serial number.  You will also notice how much more pronounced the engraving is on the back vs the 6930. 

Original suggested retail was 33,000 yen.  This one has the 3159 module which of course is solar and atomic as well as 200m water resistance.  Full auto EL backlight with Afterglow, World Time of 29 times zones (48 cities + UTC) with city code display and daylight savings on/off.  4 daily alarms and 1 snooze.  Hourly chime, 1/100 second stopwatch up to 24 hours.  1 second count down timer again to 24 hours.  Calendar is good until 2099 and the watch has 12/24 hour time formats.  Button operation tone is also on/off switchable.  Finally, and really pretty cool: approximate battery life of 10 months on full charge with no further exposure to light.  Oughtta get you through a long winter pretty easily. Due to the lack of titanium this one is specified at 51.7g or almost 5g (10%) heavier than the RM’s.  On one side, 5 grams is nothing, but on the other side you can actually tell.