There has been much speculation as to what the next trending watch colour will be, emerging from blues to greens to reds, trendsetters are waiting on the next contender to decide the statement color of the year. But what’s one better? A mix up of all the colors imaginable!
Recently, the rainbow trend has been making a comeback, revived in the extravagant allure of precious stones. Casio’s interpretation however, takes it beyond the predictable colorful arrangement, and melds it all onto a single palette instead.
In celebrating 20 years of their MT-G series, Casio released a limited edition timepiece of the new MTG-B1000RB that bears a rainbow colourway sheen. Constructed from a mix of resin and metal, the case is treated with a rainbow ion plating solution to achieve a similar effect to Arpa’s lightning-struck bezels.
At first glance, the look is almost holographic, with every hue of pink, green, gold and blue smeared across the bezel, to the pushers, and down to the lugs. It’s an artistic aesthetic to a bold construction, where the MT-G models are known for their rigid case structure. The sheen of the case is achieved through a Sallaz polishing technique executed by MINASE, a Japanese manufacture based in an area of the same name, which finishes quality cases for Seiko and Grand Seiko.
The structural integrity is still the same – a compact case constructed of carbon-fiber reinforced resin, which comprises of an inner case, bezel and caseback that are held together using a Core Guard Structure. Visually it is a bulky piece, but it pays to be up close and personal with these pieces to physically experience its lightweight properties.
Following complementing color tones, the dial bears a more vibrant outlook than its regular counterparts, with a color-coded day/date display, 24-hour indicator, second time zone, and battery level indicator. Its legibility can be further illuminated with an LED spotlight at the 7.30 position, making time checks possible in any environment.
The MT-G series takes its roots from G-Shock, where its identity in the 90s was known to be “the toughest watch in the world”. Its emphasis on the layers of case structure justified the need for a durable bulky piece, where one could take it to go surfing, dirt bike riding or mountaineering, belittling varied challenging terrain with abandon.
When the first MT-G models debuted in 1999, it was Casio’s foray into merging mixed materials to create a resin and metal case with similar structural integrity. It became a watch that bore a “Triple G Resist” promise: shock-resistant, centrifugal force-resistant, and vibration resistant.
Fit with Bluetooth connectivity and app-driven technology, the MTG-B1000RB is capable of running for 5 months on a fully charged battery (with normal use without exposure to light after charging) and is also powered by Tough Solar technology, an in-house solar-charging system that converts both natural and artificial light to charge its battery.
Coupled with the G-SHOCK CONNECTED App, the watch is able to sync up with the smartphone interface, enabling more accurate time keeping, and adjustments to a host of other functions, including a countdown timer, daily alarm, and even a full auto-calendar that is able to track up to the year 2099.
In spite of housing numerous smart technology, the watch carries a water resistance up to 200m, and comes dressed in a resin band for comfortable wear. The 20th Anniversary version will be available from June 2019, and comes packaged with the same rainbow ion plating finish, with a price point at US$1,000.
