It looks like Casio is set to release its first full-size Pokémon G-Shock watch – if a new “leaked” image is to be believed.
On Saturday, Instagram user @geesgshock posted an image purporting to show an upcoming Casio design inspired by the pocket monsters, marking the Japanese franchise’s 30th anniversary.
Casio signed a deal with the Nintendo-linked brand in 2019 and has previously housed its Pokémon collaborations inside smaller Baby-G models. The first set of titchy timepieces arrived in yellow, white, orange and purple, inspired by the first-generation Pokémon Pikachu, Gyarados, Charmander and Starmie, respectively. Pink and black models were released in the following years, both arriving in commemorative boxes with Poké Ball cases.
Casio.
The upcoming model, however, marks the first time the companies have worked together on a full-size G-Shock – tagged as the GA-110PKM-7A.
Showcased against a backdrop of trading cards, the watch is crafted from translucent resin, with blue, red and green accents across the bezel, hour and minute hands – surely a nod to the original line-up of Pokémon Game Boy video games. The series debuted in Japan in 1996 as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, before a special-edition Pocket Monsters Blue arrived later that year. When the game reached overseas markets in 1998, the name had been changed to Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue.
Elsewhere, it features Pokémon branding, as well as a yellow Pikachu silhouette that sits on a small sub-dial designed as a Poké Ball. It’s not yet known what kind of packaging we’ll be treated to, but judging by previous releases, it’s sure to be pretty elaborate. What’s more, it’s set for a global release – and it’s widely thought that a release date will arrive soon. As for price, these models generally market for under £150 – but we’ll just have to wait and see on that.