project team tough: dw-5025sp-1jf
project team tough was the group of men (and perhaps women…) from casio who in the early 1980s were tasked to design and build an ultimate watch “that would have a 10-year lifespan, water resistance up to 10 atmosphere, and able to endure the shock even when dropped to the ground from a height of 10 metres”.
since the birth of the original dw-5000c-1a in 1983, the famous square had been reincarnated various times as anniversary editions. This include the infamous dw-1983-1 (10th anniversary), dw-5000ml-1jf (20th anniversary tribute series) and dw-5000sp-1jr (project team tough 20th anniversary edition).
2008 marks the 25th anniversary of project team tough and in may this year, casio released 2008 copies of the dw-5025sp-1jf. the watch was reportedly sold out even before the official release date.
after months of hunting and waiting, i finally managed to secure not one, but two pieces! the second piece which is pictured here bears the number 0828/2008 on its screwback.
this edition bears a gold tint in the display and of course spots the signature brick wall motif of the original dw-5000-1a.
gold-coloured screwback bearing the eric haze-designed 25th anniversary logo
0828, a pretty auspicious number i think…
[...] this is the grand-daddy of the excellent lineage of dw-5600/5200/5000 g-shocks. so many variations have been spawned but none beats the original baby of project team tough. [...]
omg.. the gold background is beautiful!!
I have an original 20th anniversary DW-5000 ‘Project team tough’ which is far nicer. I’ve no idea why they decided to put a Gold back on it?, the original DW-5000 was a special watch and the 20th anniversary celebrated this fact, the new 25th version is purely ‘Another’ random watch which pays no homage whatsoever to the original project team or the DW-500, what a waste and i for one wouldnt buy one.
Bill, here’s my take on this.
if you want to speak about homage, then the 10th anniversary dw-1983 with be a more special edition wouldn’t it? I don’t see why or how this should develop into a 10th vs 20th vs 25th kind of thing.
gold backs or not, it’s all cosmetics and the essence and spirit of the watch remains the same. maybe that’s “collector’s speak” to you.
in essence, all these re-releases on “significant” anniversaries are marketing and extensions of a product line. you buy what you desire and should continue to do so.
in my opinion, a good homage is having the modern dw-5600e becoming an affordable watch that everyone can own.
i own the original dw-5000, subsequent 5600c variants and the modern 5600e watches; and i like them all because of the classic design and shape. the core functions have changed in minute ways from the original and after seeing the modern 1545 module for the longest time, casio has gone forward with the latest multiband 5 module in the gw-m5600.
my point is, you have rightly exercised your choice of watches based on likes and dislikes and so have a lot of g-shock owners out there.
every single g-shock – regardless of model – sold is homage to project team tough if it bears the signature property of being tough and shock resistant.
beauty wasn’t a criteria when the design brief was given to the team in 1983. but the work of project team tough has given birth to a lot of random and beautiful watches.
cheers.
dave.
a real beauty….saw some yahoo.jp auctions for the watch…around 26,000 yen…tempting!