This year, Casio G-Shock celebrates the 25th anniversary of its elite MR-G collection by releasing exquisitely crafted and sophisticated limited edition watches inspired by the samurai armor Hana-Basara. As I understand it, Hana-Basara is a celebration of those particularly bold samurai who were, for lack of a better term, in high demand. The limited edition G-Shock MRGB2000BS3A Hana-Basara watches, priced at $8,000, demonstrate an impressively high level of craftsmanship.
Hana represents "showy or brilliant" armor, while Basara is derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "diamond" and refers to Basara Busho, who were evidently military commanders who enjoyed "armor with original and artistic designs, even in battle." Not wanting to let Hana-Basara rely solely on historical samples for inspiration, G-Shock commissioned armorer Suzukine Yuzan to create an original samurai armor design.
Speaking of key features, the Hana-Basara model is part of the MRGB2000 series from G-Shock and features a DAT55G titanium case with brown AIP (Arc Ion Plating) coating, measuring 49.8 mm wide, 16.9 mm thick, and 47 mm lug-to-lug (54 mm if measured from the raised central link). The watch is water-resistant up to 200 meters and equipped with a Tough Solar solar battery, radio-controlled time synchronization, dual time zones, a 24-hour chronograph, a 24-hour countdown timer, an alarm, and an LED display.
What makes the Hana-Basara so special starts with the bezel. Back in 2017, G-Shock released MR-G watches with a bezel made of Cobarion, a cobalt-chrome alloy that is four times harder than titanium and possesses an almost glossy shine. While the previous model had a classic flat bezel, the Hana-Basara features a beautifully cut bezel crafted by master Kazuhito Komatsu. The hardness of Cobarion presents a challenge in creating such clean and sharp lines, so Komatsu utilized techniques from his specialization in gemstone cutting to create the bezel.
Kazuhito Komatsu is also the creator of the Hanashinju pearls, which are faceted pearls unlike any I've seen before. I've never seen such pearls in person, but in photographs, they appear astonishingly intricate. In fact, the maedate crest on the Hana-Basara helmet features one of Komatsu's faceted pearls. After all, this is a tribute to the showiest samurai.
The woven dial pattern, inspired by chain stitching (kusari katabira), is combined with red, green, gold, and black accents, which are used quite wisely and executed well. Thanks to mirror polishing and guilloche reminiscent of a traditional folding fan, many beautiful details can be seen under a magnifying glass. One small but impressive detail I initially missed is the curve on the indices, very subtle and meant to evoke the curve of a sword.
At a quick glance, the bracelet might seem like ordinary black DLC, but it's actually a very dark green color. Specifically, it's a shade of kurogane-iro, simply a dark shade of green achieved when iron reaches very high temperatures. It's a subtle touch, but it helps tie together the various elements of this watch.
I spoke with several people who told me that the allocated batches of these watches sell out quickly, and they are out of stock on the G-Shock website, so discussing whether the watch is worth its price is almost moot. Personally, I find the price quite reasonable considering the quality and craftsmanship presented here. Obviously, the buyer circle is quite self-selecting when you consider the Venn diagram of G-Shock enthusiasts and people with this kind of money.
The Casio G-Shock MRGB2000BS3A Hana-Basara watches, a truly impressive display of craftsmanship and execution, are released in a limited edition of 400 pieces priced at $8,000. More information can be found at gshock.com.