Manual restoration of the original G-SHOCK "DW-5000C" 35 years ago by Casio!
Casio Computer Co., Ltd. is the first of the long-selling model 5600 series, which inherited the design of the first model "DW-5000C" (released in April 1983), as a project to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the birth of the shock-resistant watch G-SHOCK. It was announced on October 31 that a service to replace the bezel, band and battery for the two models of "DW-5600C" (released in June 1987) will be implemented for a limited time.
● Service overview Target model: DW-5000C (released in April 1983), DW-5600C (released in June 1987) Application period: November 1, 2018 9:00 to January 31, 2019 Application Method: Dedicated website Service details: Bezel, band, battery replacement (three services listed on the left are included in a set) Price: 9600 yen (restoration service fee) + 800 yen (cash-on-delivery handling fee + return shipping fee) + consumption tax = total 11,232 yen * Only the bezel with black resin color and gray fill color is provided. The waterproof test after battery replacement is carried out at the level of daily life.
Even if the resin of the exterior bezel is hydrolyzed, the watch still lives
The exterior bezels of the DW-5000C and DW-5600C are made of resin. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the material, it was thought to be inevitable that the resin would hydrolyze over time, and one day it would suddenly crumble into pieces.
However, Casio Computer Co., Ltd. still receives dozens of inquiries every month asking for "reproduction of the bezel". For example, "The watch itself is durable and still works, but it's a pity that the bezel part broke down and fell apart." Despite being a 35-year-old product, requests from G-SHOCK fans continue.
The mold for remanufacturing the bezel has already passed the maintenance service period of the product, so I do not have it at hand. How do you go about remanufacturing without a mold? After about two years of research, they have developed a method to regenerate the bezel using "optical molding technology".
What is the resin "light molding" that took two years to develop?
The optical molding technology developed to reproduce the bezel of the first generation G-SHOCK is suitable for small-scale prototypes and not suitable for mass production, but it is the same as the regular product. It was adopted as being able to produce bezels with quality.
Photo molding can selectively heat and melt only the resin in the mold by transmitting near-infrared rays through the silicon mold. It is said that it is the industry's first new technology to carry out photo-molding with urethane resin.
This has the advantage of being able to manufacture parts at a low cost and in a short time compared to "injection molding", which melts melted resin into a mold, which is usually used to manufacture parts.
Main work process. Although it is not shown in this table, the first thing to do was to find a "clean DW-5000C without scratches".
Manufacturing mass-produced parts by hand!
Prior to the start of the restoration service, we visited the production site. What surprised me the most was that the staff made each item by hand. Manually restoring a mass-produced product that was made 35 years ago...! Just like the call-and-response exchanges between artists and fans that take place at concert venues, Casio Computer Co., Ltd. is willing to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of fans. My heart felt hot.
Silicone molds and finished bezels of the same type used in the restoration service
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