Leveraging sophisticated technologies to reproduce traditional Japanese hues and color variations with subtle precision
Established in Japan, the flagship MR-G line of G-SHOCK timepieces has deep roots in four decades of fine G-SHOCK craftsmanship. The passion for detail extends to color as well, so MR-G timepieces often employ unique shades of color with cultural significance in the land of their origin. No other line of watches comes close to MR-G when it comes to capturing aspects of the beautiful cultural traditions and styles that have developed unbroken over the course of Japanese history. Sharing these with future generations worldwide, MR-G timepieces express Japan’s traditional hues with subtlety and sophistication. Advanced coating technologies, including AIP and black DLC, are employed to render these colors in the timepieces, adding to the elegant functional beauty and toughness of their forms an astonishing aesthetic beauty.
AIP, an advanced coating technology offering both meticulous reproduction of traditional hues and superior hardness
MR-G watches highlight a number of heritage hues. Once considered emblematic of the highest-ranking officials, kokimurasaki, a deep violet, came to be a color with special significance in Japan. Suaka is the color of pure, unadulterated copper material. Kurogane-iro, a blue-tinged ferrous hue, evokes the surface of iron with a quality thought to exemplify a finely crafted sword, as mentioned in an old Japanese phrase contrasting the bluish look of iron with the white gleam of the tempered blade.
In order to reproduce these characteristically Japanese hues precisely, without compromising on the distinctive depth of color and captivating beauty they project, MR-G watches are treated with a sophisticated coating technology called arc ion plating (AIP). This method also allows for careful artistic control of diverse color variations.
AIP is a surface treatment technology that uses energy from arc discharges to vaporize metal materials instantaneously, turning them into a plasma state and ionizing the elements that form the coating. Compared to ordinary ion plating (IP), AIP enables the formation of films with greater adhesive properties and hardness. The most significant feature of AIP is its ability to vaporize materials in a flash, using intense energy to form uniform, beautiful coatings on a range of metal surfaces. The technology allows MR-G watches to deliver the unique Japanese hues the line is known for, and also supports a rich palette of color variations.
AIP* has traditionally been used in fields such as the automotive and aircraft industries for components requiring high degrees of durability and strength, with a focus on performance capabilities. The use of AIP for crafting personal accessories such as wristwatches, for which aesthetic quality is a major factor, had not been considered. At MR-G, we revised our usual production processes to find a way to use AIP. The adoption of AIP as a technology supporting the quest to express traditional Japanese hues with subtlety and sophistication has enabled the MR-G line to offer beautiful shades of color unique to the cultural history of Japan, as well as superior degrees of hardness and enhanced abrasion resistance. MR-G timepieces boast finishes that deliver both total toughness and stunning beauty.
*AIP (Arc Ion Plating) is a trademark of Kobe Steel, Ltd.
Enhancing both visual aspects and technical specs with black DLC
The exteriors of MR-G timepieces build on the enduring G-SHOCK commitment to toughness, not only to express uniquely Japanese traditional hues, but also to deliver functional beauty at all times. Clad in the emblematic G-SHOCK brand color, the MRG-B5000B pays homage to the very first G-SHOCK in both form and color, featuring an all-black exterior finished with a diamond-like carbon (DLC)* coating. The DLC coating applied to the uniquely shaped case enhances both the visual appearance and technical specifications of the watch, elevating this iconic piece to an item with significance not just in the watch market, but in the cultural world, as well.
*Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings produce an uncrystallized, hard carbon coating consisting of carbon and hydrogen that offers superior abrasion resistance. Featuring a Vickers hardness (HV) rating nearing that of diamond, DLC is used as a hardening treatment for automobile components, cutting tools, and more. It enhances the scratch resistance of our watches, while creating a sleek finish with a sharp black tone.
Ao-zumi, Projecting Quiet Strength
Eschewing all extraneous elements in its quest to take the very essence of shock resistance to the extreme, one of the MR-G designs reprises the form of the first-ever G-SHOCK, projecting a quiet strength that shines through in its simplicity. A color known as ao-zumi (“blue-black”), considered to have a calming effect, is employed in the MR-G line as an embodiment of this impression of serenity.
A blue-tinged shade of ink black, ao-zumi is a hue featuring an appealing, subtle color tone that offers a bluish sheen when inspected closely. It is a favored color in Japanese Nihon-ga painting and ink-wash painting. While some types of sumi ink feature a blue-tinged hue, even sumi that is originally jet-black can take on a bluish tinge with the passage of time. For MR-G, artisans have worked to painstakingly reproduce this color, which takes on greater depth as the years go by.
AKAZONAE, Exuding a Striking Strength
This shade of red evokes the all-crimson armor worn by elite samurai units in the Warring States period of old Japan. The color came to symbolize valor and honor due to its association with units led by intrepid commanders. Shades of red used at the time were traditionally made from the precious mineral cinnabar, and they stood out on the battlefield. Red, as a color signifying strength since days of old, is captured in the MR-G line using this traditional Japanese hue of deep crimson.
Kachi-iro, Expressing the Spirit of a Warrior
The traditional Japanese hue of kachi-iro is a shade of indigo blue that is deeper than navy blue, nearly black in appearance. A favorite of warriors, who saw it as the “victory color,” samurai commanders heading into battle used it to adorn their helmets and armor. Kachi-iro represents the spirit and approach to life of these warriors, who sought distinction through triumph. This distinguished hue befits the MR-G line, made as it is with insistence on superiority in everything from materials, to construction, to functionality, worthy of its role as heir to the time-honored Japanese traditions of strength and aesthetic beauty.
