Casio has always looked for new and interesting designs for its G-Shock watch brand, and often trials innovative materials and collaborations, but the G-Shock G-D001 takes things to a whole new level.
Covered in 18 Karat gold and hand-polished down to the smallest component, the watch also has the distinction of being the first timepiece from the manufacturer that was co-designed by artificial intelligence.
Generative AI was used to "optimise the design process" and help ensure that its all-metal structure is lightweight yet as shock proof as the brand's other devices.
This has resulted in something quite special – a beautiful, one-of-a-kind watch that has been crafted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of G-Shock in the best possible way. It could also become the brand's most desirable, most expensive model in the process.
That's because the G-Shock G-D001 is set to sold to the highest bidder at Phillips in December, as part of the New York Watch Auction, and experts suggest that it could fetch as much as $150,000. And, the great news about that is that Casio will donate all proceeds to charity, so the higher the winning bid the better.
Should you fancy getting out your check book, the analogue watch hasn't any smarts as such, but does feature a solar charging system, so you shouldn't have to replace the battery. It also has multiband 6 radio control, to ensure it always displays the exact time no matter where you are in the world.
The G-D001 has 20-bar water resistance, and as we've already highlighted, it comes with the trademark G-Shock robustness.
Humans did help the AI during the design process, not least by feeding it G-Shock development data accumulated over the last four decades. A 3D model was then proposed by the computer system, which took into account structural strength, material characteristics, and processing methods.
The "organic forms' in the bezel, band and face were partly suggested by the software and tweaked by hand. The watch certainly has a different, almost random aesthetic that really makes it stand out.
Even the display case is a work of art. The front slides up to reveal the watch, but when closed there is an LED light inside that glows through the holes on the outside to create a lightshow in a darkened space. It really is something else.
Of course, few mortals will be able to afford the G-D001 but Casio has released numerous, far more affordable G-Shock watches in the last year as part of its anniversary celebrations.
We'll bring you more on additional models as and when we find out.
