THE MAN, THE LEGEND

In conversation with Kikuo Ibe, the father of G-shock

- Preetika Mathew

Kikuo Ibe, the father of G-Shock, is a soft-spoken person who often breaks into a smile and uses illustrations to communicate what he is saying in Japanese, a persona that is vastly in contrast to the rough and tough timepiece he designed which has gone on to become a vanguard of sporty watches. Launched in 1983, G-Shock, short for Gravitational Shock, is characterised by its hardiness, shock and water resistance, and functions like chronograph, alarm, countdown timers, world clock, and analog and digital displays and more, which make it a perfect wrist companion for sporting activities. Ibe, or Ibe san as he is popularly called, set out to design the watch in 1981, when the timepiece that he was wearing broke and fell from his wrist upon impact.

In wanting to construct a watch that wouldn't break, even if dropped, he spearheaded Project Team Tough. Two years and countless drop tests later, he delivered the G-Shock DW-5000C, whose shock resistance was thanks to a hollow case structure supporting the core module at certain points and a covering of urethane around the entire case. Its big, rugged form was way ahead of its time.