Casio G-Shock presents a high-end MR-G mannequin impressed by Japanese craftsmanship yearly. An everyday MRG-B2000 is already on G-Shock’s high shelf. Nevertheless, fashions designated with resounding Japanese names, comparable to Tsuiki, Tetsu-Tsuba, Sadanobu Gassan, Shougeki-Maru, and Hana-Basara, are the epitome of G-Shock expertise. The Juryoku-Maru: San, a katana specifically made for G-Shock by grasp swordsmith Teruhira Kamiyama, impressed the 2024 MRG-B2000JS-1A.
G-Shock MRG-B2000JS-1A Juryoku-Maru: San
Teruhira Kamiyama is a younger swordsmith of outstanding expertise. He’s additionally the chief of the katana world in trendy Japan. Kamiyama’s pursuit of the energy and great thing about the Japanese sword aligns with G-Shock’s imaginative and prescient for MR-G fashions. For that reason, Casio commissioned the katana grasp craftsman to forge an authentic G-Shock sword, the Juryoku-Maru: San.
Teruhira Kamiyama holding the specifically made Juryoku-Maru: San katana
I had the chance to go to Kamiyama at his forge in Setouchi, Okayama, and be taught in regards to the origin of the MRG-B2000JS-1A. This evaluate shall be of the most recent G-Shock MR-G, however I’ll additionally let you know what I discovered in that assembly. The model has carried over a number of components from its custom-made Juryoku-Maru: San katana to the watch. In fact, I may also contact on these components right here.
Recrystallized hybrid titanium bezel
One of the placing components of a katana is its blade. The impeccable tempering sample that grasp swordsmith Teruhira Kamiyama cast for the Juryoku-Maru: San’s blade impressed the MRG-B2000JS-1A’s bezel. The bezel sample captures Kamiyama’s blade design in Ti64 and pure titanium layers.
Casio topics these layers to high-temperature and high-pressure compression. The fabric is then minimize, polished, and recrystallized to create the bezel form with a singular sample that includes the 2 kinds of interwoven titanium. As well as, the MRG-B2000JS-1A’s titanium case is recrystallized to evoke the massive crystals visibly, as within the Juryoku-Maru: San blade’s mood sample. The bezel and case sample varies with every watch as a result of particulars of the manufacturing course of.
Hand-engraved 燦 inscription
Utilizing the identical approach as on the katana’s deal with, Kamiyama has manually engraved the inscription 燦 — the Japanese character for san, that means “sensible” — on every case again. The watch is a restricted version of 800 items worldwide, every with a serial quantity, and Kamiyama himself engraved each single one. So, once more, as a result of handmade nature of the engraving, the precise look on the case again will differ with every watch.
Aogai-nuri-pattern bracelet
Aogai-nuri (青貝塗), that means “blue-shell portray,” is a sort of Japanese raden (螺鈿), or mother-of-pearl inlay. It’s a ornamental approach utilized in conventional Japanese crafts and woodwork. The title refers to inserting abalone, turban, pearl oyster shells, and others that fall into the aogai class of shells right into a carved floor of lacquer or wooden. The thinness of the shells used characterizes aogai-nuri. These shells are shaved to a thickness of roughly 0.1mm. When utilized on high of lacquer, the thinness of the shells permits the black coloration beneath to shine via, making the shells seem blue, therefore the title.
Conventional Japanese artisan Mamoru Nomura, the third-generation head of Sagaraden Nomura in Kyoto, used this ornamental aogai-nuri approach for the Juryoku-Maru: San’s scabbard. It’s captured in an authentic design created particularly for the MRG-B2000JS-1A’s bracelet. Casio used an authentic (patent-pending) structural coloration approach to create a vibrant look and texture that modifications coloration relying on the viewing angle. Micro-level ultra-precision processing produces microstructures on the steel surfaces that replicate gentle to create magnificent coloring. Casio chosen the particular DAT55G alloy from Daido Steel to guard the structural coloration from scratches. Moreover, the bracelet receives a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating, offering even better abrasion resistance.
The bracelet has a push-button security clasp that forestalls it from opening unintentionally. Moreover, the clasp gives three positions for nice adjustment through holes on the edges. This kind of clasp is current on different MR-G fashions, albeit in several materials mixtures.
Dial sample
The Juryoku-Maru: San’s hilt options hishimaki-gara (菱巻柄), a conventional diamond-shaped sample typically seen on katanas. The hilt’s textured sample impressed the bottom texture of the dial, whereas the indexes evoke the curvature of a katana’s blade.
The weather described above are these from the Juryoku-Maru: San katana that impressed the design of the MRG-B2000JS-1A. Nevertheless, that’s not all to say about this premium watch, in fact. Let’s transfer on to the opposite most vital factors.
Yamagata Premium Manufacturing Line
Like all premium G-Shock fashions, the MRG-B2000JS-1A is produced in Casio’s Yamagata manufacturing unit in Japan. With a mix of expertise to maximise accuracy utilizing the corporate’s particular manufacturing gear and a excessive degree of human expertise discovered solely in top-certified personnel, Yamagata Casio produces high-quality and high-precision watches. Casio works with a skill-identification system typically seen in Japan, starting from Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum to Meister. Throughout my go to to the Yamagata manufacturing unit, it was humorous to be taught that no one realized the German origin of the “Meister” gradation.
Whereas I had seen grasp watchmakers in Switzerland and Germany, I’d by no means seen such an unlimited automated manufacturing plant just like the Yamagata Premium Manufacturing Line in Japan. So far as the attention can see, there are robots and automatic machines, with every thing beneath excellent situations, together with the few workers on this space. What stunned me much more than the big measurement was the flawless end of each watch leaving this Yamagata manufacturing unit. I’m grateful to Casio for permitting me to expertise and see this firsthand.
Sallaz sharpening of the Clad Guard Construction
There’s rather more to say in regards to the MRG-B2000JS-1A’s qualities, however these qualities aren’t distinctive to this particular watch. Lex and Mike already talked about the extra basic specs of the G-Shock Juryoku-Maru: San’s predecessors. However, I’ll additionally point out a number of right here. For example, there’s the ending of steel exterior components. G-Shock applies Sallaz(*) sharpening to those to realize a excessive diploma of smoothness. Then, the bezel and case endure a deep-layer hardening course of to strengthen their surfaces. As talked about beforehand, the bezel has a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating, and the case receives arc ion plating (AIP) to supply even better abrasion resistance.
*Sallaz and Zaratsu
We’re typically requested what the distinction is between Sallaz and Zaratsu sharpening. The reply is easier than most individuals assume. Within the early days of watchmaking, Japanese watchmakers purchased and used German sharpening machines made by Gebrüder Sallaz, or “Sallaz Brothers” in English. Many Japanese watch manufacturers, like G-Shock, Citizen, and Minase, nonetheless use the unique German title Sallaz for his or her sharpening. Nevertheless, Grand Seiko, as an example, makes use of the Japanese phonetically tailored title Zaratsu (ザラツ). In essence, all of it comes all the way down to a European approach known as black/mirror sharpening, which goals to cut back any distortions within the floor of the steel to replicate gentle evenly. The distinction between a Sallaz Brothers’ sharpening machine and others is that the previous makes use of the flat entrance of the rotating sharpening disk fairly than the rounded facet.
Enhanced shock resistance and accuracy
Like another G-Shock, the MRG-B2000JS-1A is made to face up to extraordinarily harsh use. Its development helps the watch face up to three kinds of gravitational acceleration — shock, centrifugal drive, and vibration. Moreover, it’s just about waterproof to 200 meters and immune to sturdy magnetic fields. The MRG-B2000 collection provides protecting components constructed into the screw-lock crown and buttons to assist take up impacts to its succesful and complicated module 5625. It is a solar-powered module providing Multi Band 6 radio-controlled timekeeping, with further Bluetooth connectivity to the wearer’s smartphone for computerized setting of the time and its many different functions.
Tremendous Illuminator and sapphire crystal
Within the MRG-B2000JS, G-Shock makes use of its Tremendous Illuminator expertise to guarantee readability in dim and darkish situations. The Tremendous Illuminator is a spectacular mixture of high-brightness LED and Casio’s proprietary Neobrite luminescent materials. It’s a feast for the eyes and robust sufficient to be admired even in daylight. A scratch-resistant, extremely clear sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating contributes significantly to the crisp look of the immaculately completed dial, indexes, and arms.
Closing ideas and pricing
Now that I’ve defined a lot of the technical specs and inspirational background, I’ll share private impressions of in all probability G-Shock’s costliest watch in its present lineup. Sure, the retail worth for the G-Shock MRG-B2000JS-1A Juryoku-Maru: San is €8,000. And sure, that’s some huge cash. “Particularly for a G-Shock,” I hear you say. Nevertheless it’s not simply any G-Shock. It’s the head of what Casio can at present produce in its high-end Yamagata Premium Manufacturing Line manufacturing unit.
Teruhira Kamiyama’s workshop
I might in all probability have reacted the identical method if I had not had the chance to expertise the event of this watch and see its manufacturing myself. It’s and stays a G-Shock, however it’s produced and completed at a degree that may compete with the large names within the European watch trade. And that actually, and thankfully, reveals. To expertise a watch the best way I did this one is priceless. I hope I can convey a number of the feeling and worth it offers to this particular MR-G mannequin.
Along with my go to to Teruhira Kamiyama, who defined the watch’s origins to me, and the go to to the Premium Manufacturing Line facility in Yamagata, I had the privilege of sporting a pattern of the MRG-B2000JS-1A Juryoku-Maru: San for a number of weeks. Though it’s a giant watch with an almost 50mm diameter, it’s a deal with to put on, even on my 17.5cm wrist. The time it bothered me most was after I needed to take it off and return it to Casio. 😉
Availability
The G-Shock MRG-B2000JS-1A Juryoku-Maru: San has been out there on the market from late November 2024 onwards. As talked about, it’s an version of 800 individually numbered items. The primary collectors to get them — Steffen Ebers and Marc Krämer, for whom we introduced handwritten private messages from Teruhira Kamiyama — obtained their watches throughout an occasion on the G-Shock boutique in Hamburg. So long as there may be inventory remaining, the MRG-B2000JS-1A may be ordered via a nationwide G-Shock online shop, G-Shock boutiques, and retailers licensed to promote Premium Manufacturing Line fashions.
What’s your opinion on the G-Shock MRG-B2000JS-1A Juryoku-Maru: San? Can a model like G-Shock justify such an asking worth with a high-end product like this? Value apart, what do you assume are the strengths and possible weaknesses of the MRG-B2000JS-1A? Please tell us within the feedback beneath!
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