Casio unveils its most expensive G-Shock yet as an eight-year project turns blue sapphire into a shock-resistant case, alongside two gem-set models
G-Shock enters a new territory with the Blue Rose Project, an eight-year engineering and design undertaking culminating in three watches that combine the brand’s signature toughness with blue sapphire and gemstones.
At the centre of the collection is the MRG-D5000, which Casio describes as its most expensive production G-Shock to date. Limited to just 20 individually numbered pieces worldwide, the watch is priced at £67,000.
The headline feature is its blue sapphire crystal bezel and outer case – the first time MR-G has used a full blue sapphire crystal exterior while retaining G-Shock’s shock-resistant construction.
The project takes its name from the blue rose, traditionally associated with the miraculous and the impossible. Casio says that idea reflects G-Shock’s long-running approach of taking concepts that appear difficult or impossible and attempting to make them real through engineering and craftsmanship.
The story dates back to 2018, when G-Shock creator Kikuo Ibe’s Dream Project produced the G-D5000, an 18-carat gold watch that retained G-Shock’s shock resistance.
That same year, Casio presented a sapphire crystal concept watch in Basel. While the material delivered the desired visual effect, the challenge was making it compatible with G-Shock’s shock-resistance standards.
The eventual solution was to divide the exterior into multiple interacting components capable of dispersing impact more effectively than a conventional single-piece construction. The approach informed the Multi-Guard Structure introduced with the titanium MRG-B5000 in 2022 and has now evolved into the Multi-Guard Structure for Sapphire used by the MRG-D5000.
The blue sapphire components begin as ingots grown over several months, with only sections meeting Casio’s requirements for colour concentration and transparency selected for production.
The material is then shaped to help resist chipping, creating the watch’s translucent blue exterior. The face retains the brick pattern associated with the original G-Shock, while its stainless-steel surface receives a blue vapour-deposition finish.
Gold details provide a further contrast, with the MR-G mark, SHOCK RESIST signature and other lettering rendered in 24-carat gold.
The MRG-D5000 also features a specially developed Dura Soft rubber strap carrying a raised interpretation of the G-Shock brick pattern.
Its grade-5 titanium screw case back is individually numbered from 1/20 to 20/20 and incorporates blue sapphire crystal. The inscription “DREAM PROJECT” references the initiative that began the development journey.
The watch is supplied in a blue presentation box housed within a transparent rectangular case.
The £67,000 MRG-D5000 is joined by two less expensive interpretations of the Blue Rose concept.
The MRG-B5000SA-2 has been created to mark the 30th anniversary of MR-G and draws inspiration from the intense blue light found in Icelandic ice caves.
Two two-carat blue sapphires are set into its multi-component bezel, each using an eight-facet cut inspired by the G-Shock form.
The bezel uses COBARION, a proprietary material that Casio says has around four times the hardness of pure titanium and a brilliance comparable to platinum. Grade-5 Ti64 titanium is used for the case, case back, buttons and buckle.
Blue arc ion plating, blue ion plating and blue vapour deposition create layered shades across the watch.
Limited to 500 pieces worldwide, the MRG-B5000SA-2 is priced at £7,600 and carries the MR-G 30th anniversary logo and an individual serial number on its case back.
Completing the trio is the GMW-B5000SB-1A2, which brings the Blue Rose Project to G-Shock’s full-metal collection.
Priced at £680, the all-black model features four round brilliant-cut blue sapphires set into the bezel dimples, alongside a blue line around the face.
Its stainless-steel bezel and case receive a black ion-plated finish, while the bezel itself is created through repeated forging, cutting and polishing processes. Mirror and hairline finishes are applied to individual surfaces to create a more sculptural appearance.
Despite the focus on sapphire and gemstones, Casio has retained the functional credentials expected of G-Shock.
All three watches offer shock resistance, 20-bar water resistance and solar power, alongside Multi Band 6 radio control, a 1/100-second stopwatch, countdown timer, five daily alarms and a full-auto LED backlight.
The MRG-B5000SA-2 and GMW-B5000SB-1A2 also offer Smartphone Link connectivity through the Casio Watches app, with functions including automatic time adjustment, watch setting, world time, Time & Place logging, reminders, watch-status information and phone finder.
The collection represents a significant expansion of G-Shock’s luxury proposition, moving the brand’s familiar square design into increasingly precious materials without abandoning the shock resistance that has defined it since the original DW-5000C launched in 1983.
Source: watchpro.com