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G-Shock creator Kikuo Ibe says the most intense official test he could recall involved a watch being run over by a large bus in Sydney. The anecdote comes from a November 2023 interview with Time+Tide Watches—not a published test report—and the account does not identify the bus or provide a testing protocol. The interview also traces the watch’s beginnings to a broken family watch and Ibe’s original “triple-ten” durability target.
Why did Kikuo Ibe set out to make a tougher watch?
In Zach Blass’s 2023 interview for Time+Tide Watches, Ibe said the idea followed the loss of his father’s watch. It broke after a pedestrian collision caused it to fall. Ibe wanted to make a watch that could withstand impacts rather than fail from a drop.
He began prototyping in 1981. The first G-Shock, identified in the interview as the DW-500, debuted in 1983. The article describes the project as an effort to meet three durability goals known as “triple-ten.”
What did “triple-ten” mean?
Ibe’s original targets were a 10-metre drop, 10-bar water resistance and 10 years of battery life. As quoted in the interview, he explained: “So basically, triple-ten started with 10 metres high, the actual height of dropping the watch so that it can be resistant.”
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The interview says the first model exceeded the water-resistance target at 20 bar, but reached seven years of battery life rather than ten. These figures describe the early model as reported in the 2023 interview; they are not specifications for current G-Shock watches. Read the interview with Kikuo Ibe at Time+Tide Watches.
What was the Australian bus test?
Asked about extreme tests, Ibe recalled a G-Shock surviving after a large bus ran over it in Sydney. He described it as the most intense official test he could remember. The interviewer suggested the idea of having a G-Shock run over by a huge bus, then noted he could not establish the exact type of bus involved.
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The interview gives no watch model, bus model, loading conditions, number of runs or technical test report. It is therefore best understood as Ibe’s recollection in an interview, not as an independently documented or standardized test result.
Which other demonstrations did the interview describe?
The interview recounts several demonstrations and promotional images, but does not provide test protocols, sample sizes, model identifiers or independent records for them. They should not be treated as equivalent to controlled, repeatable tests.
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- Water resistant 200m (660ft): in general, suitable for professional marine activity and serious surface water sports, but not diving
- Ten-metre drop: A watch was dropped from a third floor, described as precisely 10 metres.
- Bicycle and car: The account mentions watches run over by a bicycle and a car.
- Hockey advertisement: A 15-second television spot showed a hockey player using a watch as a puck. The article says the ad helped attract interest but gives no campaign or sales measurements.
- Bus: Ibe recalled the Sydney run-over as the most intense official test he could remember, but the interview supplies no further technical details.
The interview’s introduction says G-Shock was marking its 40th anniversary in 2023 and cites 140 million watches sold over four decades. It does not identify the underlying source for that sales figure, so it should be attributed to the article rather than treated as a Casio-reported statistic.
Did anyone test a G-Shock with an elephant or a pistol?
No. The interview separates those ideas from demonstrations that Ibe said had taken place. Ibe said he abandoned the elephant-stomp idea because an animal could be injured. A student asked him whether a pistol could break a G-Shock; Ibe said that test had never been done. Neither story describes an official test.
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The interview also distinguishes official testing from videos showing extreme drops and repeated torture tests. It does not establish that those videos used controlled methods or represent a standard G-Shock test programme.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What conditions might challenge a G-Shock?
The interview says prolonged exposure below −30°C or above 60°C could be difficult for a G-Shock. It does not cite a model-specific manual or a test standard for those temperatures. They should not be read as universal operating limits or specifications for every model. For a particular watch, consult its own manual and manufacturer specifications.
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What did Ibe say about a mechanical G-Shock?
Asked about collaborating with a mechanical-watch company, Ibe said there was no plan at that time to do so. That was his answer in the November 2023 interview; it does not establish current company policy.
What the interview can—and cannot—tell you
The interview offers Ibe’s account of the watch’s origin, its early design goals and the testing stories he recalled. It is a historical interview, not a current product comparison or a technical specification sheet. The Sydney bus anecdote is striking, but it cannot tell a buyer how a particular present-day G-Shock will perform: that requires model-specific specifications and evidence.
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