G-SHOCK Launches New MT-G Watches Designed by Humans and AI
Whether we like it or not, the age of artificial intelligence is upon us. It has slowly (and then very quickly) seeped into just about every facet of our lives in small ways. Our social media feeds are sprinkled with content either partially or completely created by AI, we get help with everything from grocery lists to travel plans with artificial chat programs, and our emails are cleaned up automatically for us at the push of a button. Artificial intelligence has come for the watch industry as well, which can be seen in the latest release from G-SHOCK, a new watch designed using, at least in part, new AI technology.
The new MTGB4000 was developed, according to G-SHOCK, through a design process that used both human designers and generative AI technology. The watch debuts a new frame, which was initially developed through sketches by the G-SHOCK design team. These initial sketches were “optimized” by artificial intelligence for a design that is said to maximize structural performance while maintaining the particular design language of the MT-G collection.
Like all watches in the MT-G series, the aesthetic is bold and a focus has been placed on materials. Both metal and resin are used in the case, and the MTGB4000 also features a new version of G-SHOCK’s Dual Core Guard structure, which is designed to further enhance shock resistance by allowing the watch’s outer case to take the brunt of an impact, leaving the inner case protected.
The new frame, derived partially from an AI assisted process, is constructed from laminated carbon and fiber glass sheets that create a dramatic silhouette with a pronounced layering along the sides of the case. The watch also features high end contrasting finishes on the other metallic components.
Like all G-SHOCKs, this one is feature rich. It runs on G-SHOCK’s Tough Solar technology and is capable of connecting to your smartphone for easy setting and access to its features. It features the usual suite of G-SHOCK complications, including a world timer, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, and an alarm. There are two versions: the MTGB4000-1A, a standard configuration, and the MTGB4000-1A2, which has a blue-gray IP coating.
While G-SHOCK might be the first brand of its size and influence to admit a watch has been made with the help of AI (and to market it as such), it’s hard to believe that other brands aren’t using AI in similar ways and simply not discussing it. I give credit to G-SHOCK for framing their use of AI in this way, and am curious to see how it continues to be used in the wach industry in the years ahead as the technology improves. Personally, I’m less interested in how AI might assist with a design for reasons that are largely aesthetic (G-SHOCK has made no specific claims that AI has led to functional improvements on this watch) and much more interested in how AI might solve longstanding watchmaking problems. Could AI design movement components that are longer lasting, for example? Or improve the functionality of those components to a degree that there’s a real impact on timekeeping? Is there a future version of watchmaking where an entire movement with a novel design could be created by an AI?
These questions are interesting to consider but likely a long way off from being answered. Until then, the new MTGB4000 gives us a small taste of what watchmaking’s AI future might look like. The retail price of the MTGB4000-1A is $1,250, and the MTGB4000-1A2 retails for $1,350. G-SHOCK
The post G-SHOCK Launches New MT-G Watches Designed by Humans and AI appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Comments
Post a Comment