To celebrate its 40th anniversary, G-Shock is releasing only one 18-karat yellow gold watch known as Dream Project #2. (The first Dream Project was released for the brand’s 35th anniversary.) The watch, bearing the code G-D001, was co-created by human developers and computer-aided design techniques that utilised artificial intelligence. Their goal was to ‘Break the Boundary’ of what they could achieve with a G-Shock watch, beloved the world over for its structural toughness and functional styling cues. This one-of-one watch features a full-metal shock-resistant structure—as expected of a G-Shock—but its case, bezel and band are in 18-karat yellow gold—not quite so expected.
Want to be the only person in the world owning the G-D001? It will be auctioned for charity by Phillips on 9 and 10 December in New York, with all proceeds going towards environmental organisations. If you’re the lucky winner, your 18-karat G-Shock will come in not so much a case as it is a tower, with its own internal LED that can literally shine on your new prized possession. The front cover slides up and down for an even more dramatic effect, and features the model numbers of past and present G-Shock watches through a unique openwork design. Switch on that LED light, and you’ll get a showstopping light-projection art installation to go together with the watch too.
“We wanted to upend conventional notions, so we invited mostly young people to be on the project team—with a team of G-Shock veterans providing backup—truly a dream project,” said Kikuo Ibe, affectionately known as the father of the G-Shock, in a statement. “The team tackled every challenge with unprecedented approaches, including incorporating cutting-edge AI technologies into the design process. The fresh, new perspectives and techniques they applied culminated in the development of a very special timepiece—the G-D001.”
In order to achieve the stunningly gorgeous lustre seen here, the team utilised methodologies normally reserved for jewellery making in the crafting of the Dream Project #2. For instance, every component was polished by hand; lost-wax casting processes were applied for the precision-moulded bezel and band; and cutting and pressing processes were used for the top bezel, centre case, case back, buttons, and clasp. Meanwhile, the face of this G-Shock is dial-less and see-through, a deliberate design choice allowing for the wearer and (stunned) onlookers to view the internal mechanisms. Its movement has a metal main plate, silicone cogwheels, and ruby bearings, all of which contribute towards precise timekeeping. The watch also uses a gallium compound for power generation, which is ordinarily used in solar cell technology found in satellites. As if all that weren’t enough, the G-D001 boasts 20 bar water resistance, multiband 6 radio control, dual time, stopwatch, date, and, of course, a shock-resistant structure.
“The creative, original style of the exterior may offer a glimpse into the future of G-SHOCK,” Ibe said. “Even beyond this, however, I feel this watch poses a question to all of us: what is the vital essence of toughness? I have no doubt that the G-Shock quest for the ultimate will continue for decades to come, fulfilling the mission of constant evolution with unshakeable conviction.”
