Photographs by Masanori Yoshie
Text by Yuto Hosoda（Chronos Japan）
Released in this spring, the MRG-B5000 revives the G-SHOCK Origin DW-5000C as the latest installment in Casio’s flagship MR-G series. It already is remarkable to see the Origin appear as part of the MR-G series, what really deserves attention, however, is the new watch’s luxury finishing, which goes beyond anything in the history of the G-SHOCK to date.
| G-SHOCK MRG-B5000B: The first ever MR-G model of an Origin watch, the MRG-B5000B makes its appearance as the flagship of the G-SHOCK series. As a look at the main cut at the top of this article shows, this model inherits much of the design of the original DW-5000C model. Tough solar. Ti x Cobarion + DLC (L: 49.4 mm, W: 43.2 mm, H: 12.9 mm) 200-meter water resistance (photo: Masanori Yoshie). | G-SHOCK MRG-B5000D: The MRG-B5000D features a titanium carbide coating. To differentiate it from the previous all-metal G-SHOCK model GMW-B5000, it makes extensive use of satin finishing and emphasizes the sharp-angled contours of the ridges. Tough solar. Ti x Cobarion + titanium carbide. (L: 49.4 mm, W: 43.2 mm, H: 12.9 mm) 200-meter water resistance (photo: Masanori Yoshie). |
With the MRG-B5000, both polishing and assembly require high levels of technical skills. For this reason, assembly is done by hand. Some of the parts in the MRG-B5000 have elaborate shapes that make them difficult to produce using press forming, so machining is used for these parts. This is one of the things that make the MRG-B5000 distinctive, and one of the reasons why I wrote at the outset of this article that the external appearance of the MRG-B5000 marks a break from all its predecessors in the series.
For more info: https://www.gshock.com/collections/mrgb5000
The top bezel (left) uses Cobarion, a cobalt-chromium based alloy. The application of Sallaz polishing on this material, which has the same brilliance as platinum, gives the watch a distinctly luxurious feel unlike anything seen in the G-SHOCK series to date. 64Ti is used in the middle case (right) and many of the other parts, including the back cover and buckle. (photo: Masanori Yoshie)
Two New Materials Used for the First Time in any Regular Model
It is not only the externals of the MRG-B5000 that incorporate an unusually intricate production method for the Origin series. The materials too are quite different from anything seen in an Origin watch to date. The middle case, back cover, and buttons use a Ti64 titanium alloy comprising 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, while the top bezel employs the Cobarion cobalt alloy, which is approximately four times harder than pure titanium and has the same brilliance as platinum. The band is made of a DAT55G titanium alloy, approximately three times harder than pure titanium.
To learn more about the development team’s intentions regarding the case polishing, follow this link.
With the GMW-B5000, fine resin cushioning material is inserted between the case and the bezel to absorb any shocks. But with the MRG-B5000, because the case is divided into smaller parts, there isn’t any space to insert the cushioning material in the same way as with other models. For this reason, a multi-guard structure was incorporated into the MRG-B5000. This is a new type of shock-absorbent structure, which uses suspension parts at the four corners of the bezel that incorporate a T-shaped bar and leaf springs, together with cushioning in the case side and lugs. (photo: Masanori Yoshie)
Even though this material is said to be three times harder than pure titanium, it is said to offer excellent workability as well. What is the explanation for this?
Shingo Ishizaka, a member of the production team within Casio’s Development Headquarters: “After molding and polishing, DAT55G requires a special hardening process. Before that process, it’s actually softer than Ti64. Our manufacturing process requires us to make small holes in the band for the link pins to pass through. With Ti64, the material is simply too hard, and it is impossible to cut these holes in the material. Noticing that DAT55G is relatively soft before processing, we decided to use this material for the band to take advantage of this quality of the alloy.”
For more info: https://www.gshock.com/collections/mrgb5000
The sleek outer appearance of the MRG-B5000, with its sharply defined ridges and a mirror-smooth face. The band uses DAT55G, a titanium alloy that offers excellent workability and three times the hardness of pure titanium. Even the dimples in the band are made from separate pieces, allowing them to be polished separately. .(photo: Masanori Yoshie)
Not only do these two materials offer excellent qualities, they are also the perfect match for the MR-G concept, which is built on the idea of a fusion between Japan’s cutting-edge technology and its traditions of craftsmanship. Both metals are pioneering alloys developed in Japan: Cobarion is produced by Eiwa in Iwate Prefecture, while DAT55G was developed by Daido Steel in Aichi Prefecture. Together, they make the perfect match for the MRG-B5000.
Turning the Origin into a Flagship Model and the Pride of Casio’s Development Team
The MRG-B5000 has been given a more elaborate finish and appearance than any other model in the MR-G series to date. For many, it will perhaps come as a surprise to see a familiar favorite like the Origin offered for sale at such a high price in G-SHOCK. But the almost-excessive attention to detail and the quality of the finishing put the new model head and shoulders above other middle-range watches in the same price range. In fact, production of the watch is so cost-intensive that even at this price the company will barely turn a profit. But Casio was determined to do whatever it took to produce a flagship model of the Origin. The result is the latest G-SHOCK watch.
The company was determined that there was no room for compromise if the iconic Origin was going to join its pinnacle MR-G lineup. The high-quality polish and exquisite external appearance of the finished product testify to the deep pride taken by everyone involved in the development of the watch.
For more info: https://www.gshock.com/collections/mrgb5000
To learn more about the development team’s intentions regarding the case polishing, follow this link.
