Attention, Party People! — IFL Watches Introduces The G-Shock CasiOak DJ Willie
With Steamboat Willie now in the public domain, the film’s main character is ready to let loose! In this second Steamboat Willie-inspired release, IFL Watches lets Willie work the crowd as a DJ on the dial of a G-Shock CasiOak. The hand-painted dial lights up under UV light to brighten up Willie’s party. It creates a colorful and fun new adventure that will surely bring a smile to the face of the 150 future owners of this new G-Shock CasiOak DJ Willie by IFL Watches.
In late April, IFL Watches released the Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic Free Willie. It was the first limited-edition release by IFLW to celebrate the passing of the Disney classic Steamboat Willie into the public domain, which happened on January 1st, 2024. As I explained in the introduction article, this animated short film is known as the first public appearance of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. But now that Steamboat Willie is “free,” so to speak, Mickey/Willie is ready for new adventures. For the first release, IFL Watches put Willie on the Moon. For the second release, the Swedish brand decided to make DJ Willie the life of the party.
The story of DJ Willie on the dial of the new CasiOak
When Steamboat Willie became publicly available, many designers and animators jumped on the occasion to have fun with Mickey Mouse. We have seen new art that puts Mickey in many different situations; he has been included in a horror game, and even AI art generators have used Mickey’s likeness — although some have used the later version that is not in the public domain yet — to create new art.
This shows that this event was a big deal. We’re also likely to see a lot of Steamboat Willie-inspired art pop up in the coming months and years.
For its second Willie-themed watch, IFLW took the old-school-style Mickey from Steamboat Willie and made him a DJ. To clarify, IFLW calls the character Willie instead of Mickey to refer to its inspiration. It also explains the illustration style that the artists at IFLW have chosen for Willie.
The earliest drawings of Mickey did not look the same as the famous Disney character we all know today. I enjoy the original style mixed with this creative twist because it puts Willie into the IFL Watches universe.
The custom-created dials of the DJ Willie limited edition
For this new G-Shock CasiOak version, DJ Willie is spinning records and hyping up the crowd. The canvas for this new limited edition of 150 pieces is a G-Shock GM-2100 with a blacked-out metal case fitted with a cloth strap. The case measures 44.4mm wide, 49.3mm long, and 11.8mm thick, making it one of the most wearable G-Shocks out there.
The watch is water resistant to 200 meters and features the regular set of functions we know from the module-5611-powered 2100 series. These include a world-time function with 31 time zones, a 24-hour countdown timer, a stopwatch, five daily alarms, a full calendar until the year 2099, and an LED to light up the dial in the dark.
The artists at IFLW have created a dial that makes the watch come to life at night even more. Of course, it displays Willie as the DJ of a colorful party during the daytime. The pink and purple hues on the dial and bezel contrast nicely with the blacked-out canvas. But to make things even more impactful, IFLW used fluorescent paints on the dial. As a result, while this watch looks colorful in normal daylight, it truly comes to life under UV light, shining as if you’re in the club where Willie works his magic.
Every dial is unique
Since every dial is painted by hand, that means all 150 dials will be slightly different. This ensures that all buyers will have a uniquely customized G-Shock. This new CasiOak DJ Willie is targeted at a younger audience, but I love that it’s not merely a clubber’s watch. The Steamboat Willie story makes this a more interesting timepiece. I am sure that IFLW will find 150 happy buyers who love the watch for its colorful presence and Steamboat Willie inspiration.
If anything, I was amazed to see the incredible art that has come out since Steamboat Willie‘s entrance into the public domain. I think it’s awesome to see what the story and the style mean to people. It also makes this second Willie-themed IFL Watches release an interesting one. The team chooses to feature the character in new and modern adventures, creating a nice juxtaposition of styles, and it works.
Admittedly, I connected more to the previous version that put Willie on the Moon. But that’s okay because not every watch is or must be for me. This is another release that will undoubtedly find its way to fans. Most of all, I can’t wait to see what other adventures IFL Watches will come up with for Willie. The possibilities are truly endless!
The G-Shock CasiOak DJ Willie Limited Edition is available now from IFL Watches for €1,190.
