#2 Native Rocker: See you later alligator!

Sometimes I see older G-Shock series that make me think: "I wish I was into G-Shocks back then". Sometimes you get the opportunity to get one of these models. It might be too far to call them my Holy Grail, but I am always happy if I find one in good condition for a nice price.
Some of the models on that were on this wishlist for a long time are the A.D.M.A. Codename, 900° Terje Haakonsen X-Treme, yellow ISF, Man in Black models, and this Rock Native model. The A.D.M.A. and Rock native can be removed from my list.
The Rock Native series were released in November 1997. The series contained 5 models.

The watches came in a clear plastic show container, with the name of the series printed on it. This type of containers were the usual packaging for G-Shock watches in the late 90's. Since around 2000 G-Shock watches were presented in cardboard boxes.
While the plastic containers are great for displaying your collection, cardboard boxes are much more environment friendly. Not everyone is as strange as me, keepin hundreds of G-Shock in a collection. The most buyers of a G-Shock of course buys the watch as a daily beater and the package is thrown away.
This series have leather straps, with metal rings as strap keeper. The leather straps is inspired by American psychadelic rock, the embroided feather is an native symbols for Peace and Love.
The models have a native symbolS in the EL-backlight. Mine has an alligator, which stands for "the power to Survive". The other models have a hedgehog, a bear's claw, a horse and a beaver in the EL-backlight.
The Rock Native models are all DW-003 models with a 1662 module. The DW-003 models can hold a lot of modules, but the 1662 module has the most functions. Beside the standard Alarm, Stopwatch and 24h Countdown Timer, this model features Dual Time and a Telememo function.
A funny side note, the Dual Time function does Not work like the now common used World Time function. Instead of 30 minute offset interfals of the normal time, you can set the time and date completely independent. The only parameter shared are the seconds.
The series were actually called Nexax Rock Native series. Nexax is a term used for the round cases of the DW-001, DW-002 and DW-003 cases.
The English term used for these models was called "Capsule Tough". The English term was not used as much as Nexax, though I think the English term tells more about the case structure. "Capsule Tough" means the module "floats" in shock absorbing constructions on all sides.
You can sometimes notice this floating when pushing a button. If you push hard you sometimes can see the module moving a little bit.
Although the term Nexax was used a lot in Japan, the name was never found on the G-Shocks or their straps. Only sometimes on the packaging.
I found this watch on the WUS sales corner in November 2008. Actually it looked like nobody noticed it, since it was for sale for some time before I noticed it.
The seller was Stockae92, a good friend and my co-moderator on the G-Shock forum (I hope you get my Christmas card this year before Easter :-)).
Actually I bought a DW-003 with a similar module from Stockae92 before, somewhere in 2007. That one is also an interesting model, with only a little background information. It might be a nice subject for a future 50 Gs article too.
The Rock Native theme inspired me to take photo's in a Rock studio. Since I have a studio for electronic music, I went to a nearby friend's studio.
Though I expected a bunch of guitars, basses and amplifiers, he proudly showed me his vintage synthesizer collection (ARP's, KORG's, Sequencial Circuits, a Roland SH-2000, a Chroma Polaris). Luckily Rock Native was inspired by psychadelic rock...
A big shout to my friend WUT (Wouter Apner) for the use of his house and studio. Check out the link to his My Space page.