Casio G-Shock has officially unveiled the MRG-D5000 Blue Sapphire, priced at $80,000 (roughly £67,000), making it the most expensive production watch in the brand's history. The timepiece traces back to an idea pitched by founder Kikuo Ibe in 2017, taking years of development to turn into an actual product.
The case and bezel are entirely crafted from lab-grown sapphire crystal, measuring 16.45mm thick. To prevent the material from cracking, the team ditched traditional drilling and screw-fastening methods in favor of an interlocking assembly structure borrowed from traditional Japanese woodworking techniques, letting each sapphire component fit together like puzzle pieces to absorb impact, while still retaining 200m water resistance and solar-powered functionality.
