Casio MR-G watches

The Casio MR-G is the top-of-the-line G-Shock range, set apart by titanium cases and bracelets. It began in 1996 with the MRG-100, the first G-Shock of full metal construction, which kept the shock-resistant design by cushioning the module between a metal case and a metal bezel.

The MRG-G1000 pairs that construction with GPS Hybrid Wave Ceptor timekeeping, which Casio first used in the GPW-1000 Gravitymaster. The watch sets itself from GPS satellites or, failing that, from radio time signals, and solar cells on the dial keep it charged; with power saving on, it runs for 18 months on a full charge. It adds world time, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, an alarm and LED lighting, with 200 m water resistance under a sapphire crystal. The case is 16.9 mm thick.

The standard models differ in finish. The MRG-G1000B-1ADR is the all-black one, with DLC over the whole case and bracelet; the MRG-G1000D-1ADR keeps a silver titanium case and bracelet with black DLC on the bezel alone. The MRG-G1000DC-1ADR is a titanium version with a black dial.

Two limited editions of 300 marked the line's 20th anniversary in 2016. On both, the bezel and bracelet links were hand-hammered by Bihou Asano, a third-generation metal craftsman, using tsuiki, a hand-hammering technique traditionally used for copper ware and armour. The MRG-G1000HT is plated in oboro-gin, Japanese for vague silver; the MRG-G1000HG (MRGG1000HG-9A) is the gold-tone version. The HT's titanium case is stamped from bar and cold forged, then hardened and coated with diamond-like carbon, which makes it more scratch-resistant than a conventional DLC case and stops the coating peeling when the metal beneath is dented. It shares the movement and functions of the standard MRG-G1000 and weighs just over 150 g on its bracelet.