G-Shock and Land Cruiser tie-up for Dakar Rally-inspired Mudman rugged watch

Collaborations in the top tech echelons are routine. Some are hard stretched but few are like a match made in heaven. A meaningful partnership in the latter type is the Toyota Land Cruiser’s tie-up with G-Shock. I am sure this collab, which marries high-end watchmaking with automotive genius, would need no introduction. But if you mean why, the companies thrive on their ability to go anywhere and take what you throw at them, so why not?

The partnership marks the 30-year history of Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body competing at the Dakar Rally. The watch for the occasion is designed to embody the spirit of resilience and adventure, which are the main stakes of the iconic motor sporting event renowned for its challenging and exhausting terrain.

Designer: G-Shock x Land Cruiser

Dubbed the GW9500TLC-1 Mudman ‘Land Cruiser’ limited edition, it is based on one of the most rugged G-Shock watches, the Mudman GW9500. Aptly chosen to represent the most extreme motorsports event, the G-Shock Mudman in the collaboration is inspired by the TLC racing team and the Dakar Rally itself.

That said, the new watch is as close as it can be to the Mudman GW9500 in features and style, except for a few tweaks that make this G-Shock a Toyota companion for the desert. The primary distinction is the use of stainless steel for the bezel and the custom color theme of black and red ion plating that make the timepiece and keeps it in theme with the rally car, Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport’s color scheme. For its distinction, the collaborative G-Shock x Land Cruiser Mudman, reference GW9500TLC-1, is priced about $60 higher than the base Mudman model at $440.

Besides all that, this G-Shock x Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body Mudman has all the same features as the GW9500. It has a Carbon Core Guard interior that’s resistant to dust and keeps the watch tough yet lightweight. The watch is solar powered, has a dynamic dual-layer LCD, features 6 radio-controlled timekeeping, and 200-meter water resistance. The digital compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer make the watch an ideal partner for the 10,000km Dakar Rally.

G-Shock has ensured perfect branding to render the watch appropriate for The TLC racing team. The caseback wears the TLC logo. The G-Shock x Team Land Cruiser Mudman’s rugged case comes paired with a black rubber strap which has a brown sand-splashed pattern for camouflage in the desert.

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Casio Baby-G celebrates 30th anniversary by getting a Hello Kitty 50th birthday design

I still have a pretty clear memory of me begging my parents to buy me a Baby-G watch when I was still a teenager and I didn’t have any money yet to get my own. I also remember buying anything that has a Hello Kitty design that I could afford back then, which wasn’t a lot since, as I mentioned, i didn’t have my own money just yet. Now that I am a full grown adult earning my own keep, my dreams for both may be about to come true as Casio is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Baby-G and Hello Kitty is turning 50.

Designer: Casio

Casio and Sanrio have announced a collaboration for the two brands with the brand new Baby-G model, the BGD565KT which features all the Hello Kitty things that you can fit in a watch. The watch design itself is based on the BGD-565 which sports the very first design of the Baby-G model which was launched back in 1994. It still has the usual watch features including shock resistance, 100M water resistance, LED backlight, multi-function alarms, stopwatch, countdown timer, and a 3-year battery life.

But of course, the star of this model is Hello Kitty herself. The entire watch has a total of 50 Hello Kitty details so you’ll get a kitty overload. This includes the band which has printed faces of the 1970s version of the cute feline as she’s laughing, winking, and looking surprised. You’ll also see her on the LCD when the backlight is on, with her distinguishable eyes, nose, and whiskers. The dial itself has a ribbon design so you get a Hello Kitty face on your wrist.

Since we’re celebrating milestones for both brands, the watch itself has a retro design which users like me wouldn’t really mind since this is all about cute nostalgia. Even the packaging is Hello Kitty-fied as it has a cloth pouch based on the design.

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Casio miniature watch erasers celebrate G-Shock’s 40th anniversary

I probably haven’t used an eraser for quite some time now since I rarely use pencils to write or draw on my journals. And the few times that I did use a pencil, it already comes with a “built-in” eraser anyway so no need to have a separate one. But if i do find a cute shape for an eraser, I would not hesitate to get one as a souvenir or keepsake.

Designer: Casio

If someone hands you a tiny Casio G-Shock, make sure that it’s an actual watch before you get excited. That’s because the Japanese watch brand is releasing a very realistic albeit smaller version of its famous G-Shock watches to celebrate the watch line’s 40th anniversary. But instead of telling time, these “watchpieces” will be able to erase your mistakes. Well, at least if you used a pencil to write something down.

The erasers are exact replicas of the DW-5600 G-Shock watches and you can get them for free if you buy specific products from Casio. They’re around 60% of the actual sizes of the G-Shock watches and they have detachable bands in case you need a better grip if you’re using the erasers for what they were created to do. But if you just want them as a cute souvenir from your trip to Japan or from your Casio purchase.

Since Japan is known as the land of cute stationery, it’s not really surprising that Casio chose this kind of commemorative piece to celebrate G-Shock’s anniversary. However, you will only be able to get one of these if you order eligible watches from their online store in Japan. The erasers are available in three colors (black, yellow, red) but you will get a random color as your freebie. I’d still take any color but unfortunately I don’t live in Japan so I will just have to stare at these cute erasers.

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