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G-SHOCK has a long history of collaborations with athletes and the brand has worked its way into the culture of professional sports in a meaningful way over the years. It makes a lot of sense that G-SHOCK, a watch that is virtually indestructible, would be embraced by athletes performing at the highest level (and, to be fair, athletes who decidedly do not perform at the highest level). One of the brand’s most interesting relationships is with Rui Hachimura, the Japanese professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. His collaborative watches with G-SHOCK tend to offer something a little more personal than the typical timepieces that athlete brand ambassadors help to sell. In other words, this isn’t just a G-SHOCK in a colorway that matches a jersey.
The new watch, a G-STEEL carrying reference GBM2100RH-1A, is inspired by both basketball and Hachimura’s personal history. The prominent colors here are gold (the dial), black (the case and strap), and red (the most prominent dial accents). The dial is meant to evoke the wooden floor of a basketball with red markings at each hour and also on each hand (G-SHOCK calls them “paint” markings, as in “in the paint”).
We also find Hachimura’s signature “Black Samurai” logo on the caseback, a symbol combining the Japanese “Hachi” symbol (for his name and jersey number) along with a samurai sword motif. The symbol is based on a sketch by Hachimura’s mother and has followed him throughout his career.
As part of the G-STEEL line, the GBM2100RH-1A features a steel bezel covering an inner case made of reinforced resin. This line is a great middle ground between full metal G-SHOCKs and the classic resin cases. The 2100 case has become (and continues to be) incredibly popular since it launched back in 2019. It’s relatively thin and easy to wear when compared to other G-SHOCKs, and has a nice contemporary integrated look. While time is told here in an analog format, this is a full featured modern G-SHOCK that includes smartphone integration through a Bluetooth connection, world time functionalty, a suite of alarms and calendar functions, and a 1/100th of a second stopwatch. It also charges via solar power.
The new GBM2100RH-1A Rui Hachimura Signature edition is available now, and priced at $370. G-SHOCK
