But what role, exactly, did AI play in creating the watch? Designers used it to develop the exterior aesthetic and to help make the overall structure as light and shock resistant as possible. “We created a design framework,” a Casio representative explained, “and then fed the AI model data about the ways impacts occur when watches are dropped, which Casio had gathered over 40 years of G-SHOCK development.”
The watch is one of the centerpieces of an auction Boutros describes as “wild, wonderful, and weird.” It’s yet another sign that both the watch industry and collectors are ready to embrace the unusual, whether it’s Rolex’s embrace of emojis or a golden G-Shock designed by AI. And like all great auction superstars, the G-D001 looks distinctive and will make for a killer dinner party story.
The AI-boosted design isn’t the only special feature here, either. Inside the watch is a six-channel radio that can set the time automatically using radio waves. That radio is powered by gallium solar panels set in a ring around the perimeter of the dial. And when you need an extra light source, that same ring glows red at the press of a button.