This is the fifth impact test we’ve conducted for the magazine, and even after the success of the previous experiments, there is still tension in the moments before impact. G-SHOCK is designed to withstand the demands of everyday use, but this kind of extreme force is another matter entirely. There was only one way to find out how far it could go. Joe Strummer once described punk as having the confidence to do things in your own way, wherever you are, a fitting attitude for this test built around pushing limits. It also brought us back to the idea at the heart of G-SHOCK itself: Absolute Toughness. The test began at Windmill Brixton in South London, where London-based punk band Alien Chicks took the stage for a special performance.

It was the height of summer in London, and the venue was thick with the energy of the crowd. Alien Chicks frontman and guitarist Josef Lindsay let out a shout before the band launched into “Donkeyhead.” The track had the speed of old-school punk, with a raw, urgent sound that hit hard. Lindsay’s forceful vocals and lyrics fired up the crowd, and soon everyone was moshing. That was when the G-SHOCK was thrown into the middle of it.
The watch hit the floor, where it was trampled under the boots of pogoing fans, soaked with drinks, and knocked around in the crowd. The energy kept building, and before long, people were diving into the crowd. After taking one impact after another, the G-SHOCK made its way back onto the stage. Then, as the song reached its climax, Lindsay brought the set to a close with a full-force guitar smash aimed directly at the watch.

The impact sent the G-SHOCK flying and the guitar splintering apart. The crowd watched from close range as the production team held its breath. Through the camera lens, we saw the G-SHOCK still keeping perfect time, completely unaffected by the impact.

The room erupted, fists raised for Alien Chicks and for the toughness of the watch that had come all the way from Japan. Punk is about living in the here and now, rather than placing your faith in society or the future. No matter what happens, G-SHOCK keeps perfect time, reminding us to give everything to the present.