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Space enthusiasts have a new way to show their love for the Apollo missions, which recently passed the 50th anniversary, and the space agency’s upcoming return to the Moon, with a simple flick of the wrist. Casio has released a limited edition DW5600NASA20 G-Shock watch on its website that, as the name implies, works as the perfect performative love letter for NASA.
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Casio’s new NASA-themed G-Shock watch
Casio’s digital watch is a version of NASA’s “worm” logo (now featured in the Crew Dragon), and the mostly white case will remind all users of the early space shuttle era. But there is more.
The EL backlight shows the Moon as a background when users check the weather in the dark, while an engraved Moon on the back makes the product stand out wherever it is.
Packaged in a special can, future owners will feel like they bought a part from a legacy American spacecraft, like the Saturn V rocket.
Casio Price, NASA Appeal
In particular, the watch hides what it does not have. Namely, as Hodinkee noted, NASA’s merchandise requirements prohibit any component or feature that suggests joint development or official endorsement by NASA. Perhaps that is why the Casio logo is nowhere to be found on the front – the G-Shock logo and the small Casio logo embossed on the back are as close as the watchmaker advertised.
At $ 130, cosmic wristwear is affordable for many, but more than affordable, the challenge lies in availability. Casio has already sold out its initial batch, and new orders won’t ship until May 6, at press time.
However, compared to the many space-themed mechanical clocks, which are more than tens of thousands of dollars, the G-Shock is a total bargain.
On the G-Shock website (whose prominent “exhausted” icon feels somewhat ambiguous), the watch is designed to honor “decades of space exploration and groundbreaking discoveries.” Like SpaceX’s next joint mission to return to the Moon, this watch is an object of exceptional appeal, out of this world.