In partnership with G-SHOCK
It’s no secret that G-SHOCK is the industry leader for rock-solid timepieces built to withstand the harshest environments and elemental abuse. Ever since Japanese designer/inventor Kakue Ibe expressed a desire to create “a watch that never breaks” three decades ago, the brand has been creating burly wrist fodder that neither rock nor mud nor ocean’s depths can stop.
There’s no better example of that ethos than G-SHOCK’s rugged Master of G collection, engineered to “respond successfully to conditions in the sky, on the land and out at sea.” Their latest addition to it, dubbed GRAVITYMASTER, has the “sky” portion of that well and truly covered: built specifically with aviation professionals in mind, the GRB200 is a technological powerhouse ready to handle anything even the most hardcore pilot can throw at it.
The bedrock of the watch is a high-strength, highly weather-resistant “Carbon Core Guard” that protects the inner module via a resin case reinforced with carbon fibers — combined with G-SHOCK’s legendary shock resistance, this construction makes the GRB200 extraordinarily vibration resistant (note: a very good thing for pilots).
Similar to G-SHOCK’s MUDMASTER model released last year (see: the “land” portion of the Master of G collection), the GRB200 features a three-layer carbon-insert bezel, the exhibition top layer of which reveals the honeycomb structure inside. Additionally, the GRB200 features an all-new button design in which large buttons are arranged to resemble a jet-fighter control stick, with oversize button guards to prevent errors when wearing gloves (note: also a very good thing for pilots).
On top of (or rather, inside of) all this, the GRB200 is packed with aviation-friendly tech features. Quad Sensor technology means you get a compass (with automatic correction capability), temperature gauge, accelerometer (step-tracker) and altimeter/barometer, all in a compact configuration that can be synced with the G-SHOCK Connected smartphone app via Bluetooth. You can use that app to review GRB200’s Mission Log function, which automatically records altitude data measured by the watch and route information acquired by your phone’s GPS.
In the “beneficial for everyday life” department, the GRB200 also features G-SHOCK’s Location Indicator, which uses the watch’s second hand to backtrack to a pre-set location (helpful for finding your way back to the car after, say, a long hike), as well as a phone finder function (helpful for finding your phone when you swear you just set it down right here not five minutes ago).
And should the lights ever go out (note: most certainly not a good thing for pilots), you’ll still be able to read the dial via a double LED light display.
Overall, the GRB200 is an impressive piece of hardware — less a timepiece than a miniature command center for your wrist. And one, it bears noting, that most definitely lives up to Ibe’s unbreakable standard.
Pilot or not, it’s a watch and a mission we can all surely get behind.
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