Introducing: The 40th-Anniversary G-Shock MR-G Shougeki-Maru
The 40th anniversary of G-Shock continues to roll on, and the latest piece is the MR-G Shougeki-Maru. It’s inspired by a kabuto (samurai helmet) and contains a hand-inscribed bezel. Yes, this is a special watch, and we expect that diehard G-Shock fans will love it.
A lot has happened over the past ten years with G-Shock. I can still remember buying a lovely 30th-anniversary model back in 2013. It’s a great piece, but it pales in comparison to what the brand has been doing to celebrate its 40th. For example, take a look at the recent Dream Project #2 G-D001 to see how things have progressed. Well, today’s MR-G Shougeki-Maru continues the party, and while it’s less audacious than the gold piece, it is still a wildly arresting watch.
The G-Shock MR-G Shougeki-Maru
The MR-G Shougeki-Maru is an analog piece with an incredible amount of detail. From its titanium case to its white strap, there’s a lot to unpack here. The watch takes its cues from samurai armor. Specifically, the inspiration comes from a kabuto, the helmet that samurai commanders wore. As we’ll see, various details of the helmet inspire the watch. G-Shock worked with a renowned artisan to have a traditional helmet made to celebrate the anniversary, and it includes a traditional maedate crest on the front. This crest was created by a separate artisan and has an elaborately carved tiger on it.
The kabuto uses white string to connect the various plates of armor. This is where the idea behind the white Dura Soft fluoro rubber strap comes from. The bezel, however, is where this watch truly makes its mark. The metalworking artisan who created the traditional crest has manually engraved the bezels on all 700 of these watches. Similar to the helmet, they also contain a tiger motif. Furthermore, each watch will be unique due to its hand-crafted nature.
More details
The titanium case bears a dark silver arc ion plating, which is intended to remind us of the color of the samurai helmet. The process, which also helps to harden the surface, has a spangled appearance. Note the small “G-Shock 40th” badge on the case side. As far as the bezel screw heads, G-Shock chose to use rubies produced by Kyocera. The rationale for rubies is that they signify passion and success while matching the traditional red cords from the samurai helmet.
All the typical G-Shock functionality
Of course, the MR-G Shougeki-Maru contains all the specs that are deserving of the G-Shock name. Solar power, a 200m water resistance rating, day/date, and dual time are just some of the features of this watch. It can also be connected to a phone via Bluetooth for simple time changes, or the radio control can be used to pick up local time. The dial also has an LED light which creates a highly visible bright purple look in darkness.
The MR-G Shougeki-Maru has loads of wrist presence
G-Shock watches don’t tend to be small, but they do wear well due to their comfortable straps and lightweight cases. The MR-G Shougeki-Maru comes in at 49.7mm wide, 56mm long, and 18.6mm thick. Yes, this is a large watch, but we found it to be exceptionally comfortable, and it looks great on the wrist.
Pricing and final thoughts
The MR-G Shougeki-Maru is definitely a premium product. With its handcrafted bezel, treated case, and rubies, this isn’t your ordinary G-Shock. As a result, it carries a price tag of £5,700. This is certainly not for everyone, but with 700 pieces available globally, it will also end up going to those who truly value its story and craftsmanship.
For more information on the MR-G Shougeki-Maru, visit the official G-Shock website.
