Casio G-Shock DW5000C - Gizmo
The Casio GShock DW5000C, released in 1983, is the watch that refused to break. Engineer Kikuo Ibe spent three years and over 200 prototypes trying to build a watch that could survive a fall from a third-floor window. The solution was elegant - a hollow suspension structure that cushioned the module inside the case, isolating it from shock. Simple idea. Extremely difficult to execute.
The DW5000C didn't look like other watches. Its squared-off resin case and flat digital display had a blunt, utilitarian honesty that owed more to military hardware than to jewellery. It was water-resistant to 200 metres, had a stopwatch and an alarm, and could take virtually any punishment its wearer could find. Within a few years, the G-Shock had become a cultural object - adopted by skaters, hip-hop artists, surfers, and anyone who valued durability over decoration.
From the Gizmo collection - a series of prints adapted from Simon Tyler's forthcoming book Gizmo: Retro-Tech We Loved and Lost, published by Laurence King in May 2026.
Produced as an open-edition print on 250gsm archival matte paper, with crisp detail and rich colour faithful to the original illustration.
Gizmo Series
Gizmo gathers illustrations adapted from and inspired by founder Simon Tyler's forthcoming book Gizmo: Retro-tech We Loved and Lost, published by Laurence King in May 2026.
The series is a visual archaeology of consumer electronics - the machines that shaped how we listened, watched, played, and worked from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Synthesizers that invented entire genres. Cameras that democratised photography. Computers that launched industries from bedroom desks. Boomboxes that soundtracked city blocks. Each one arrived as the future and departed as nostalgia, often within a single decade.
Every illustration begins with extensive photographic research - sourcing original imagery of each machine in its best light - and builds toward a clean, considered portrait that honours the object's design intent. The aim is not retro sentimentality but honest observation: what made these machines distinctive, how they looked when they were new, and why their forms still resonate.
Printed with the same archival care as our other series, Gizmo turns industrial design history into crisp, enduring graphic art.
Printing & Materials
Our Gizmo series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.
Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.
Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.
All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.