Photo: Copyright ©2006 Casio Computer Co., LTD

Michael Jordan jammed. When MJ wore red and black the colors became cool forever. Tiger Woods wears red and black today when the tournament is on the line. Both know red and black is a dramatic color combination. In summer 2006, Casio Japan released a series it calls Jam’in Color. The watches have different camouflage color patterns, including a standout, DW-6900MC-4JF, in red and black.

The first camouflage G-Shock appeared in December 1992. It became the Ichiro model when the Japanese baseball star wore one during his rookie season for the Orix Blue Wave.

The DW-6000D-1 is the forerunner to Jam’in G. A major collector’s item today, and no longer in production, the 1/1000th second chronograph had a distinctive camouflage pattern marbled into the resin band.

Most people associate camouflage with the military, but did you know artists created it? Governments enlisted modern artists to create the stealth technology in the early 20th century, between the impressionist and cubist periods. Camouflage patterns were a logical middle phase of abstraction. For the first half of the century, military organizations were the principle consumers of camouflage patterns.

That began to change in the 1960’s, when artists like Alain Jacquet took back camouflage. Andy Warhol’s last work before his death in 1987 was a study in camouflage.

Andy Warhol’s Camouflage (1987) | Photo: Wikipedia

From the Wikipedia entry on camouflage:

The transfer of camouflage patterns from battle to exclusively civilian uses is a recent phenomenon. While many hundreds of artists were involved in the development of camouflage during and since WW I the disparate sympathies of the two cultures restrained the use of “militaristic” forms in works other than those of war artists. Since the 1960s, however, artists have seized upon camouflage as a means to twist and subvert it away from its military origins and symbolism.

In the mid-1990s, fashion designers caught on. Influenced by hip-hop culture, urban wear brands like FUBU and Anna Sui began making camouflage chic. Newer brands such as Marc Ecko (New York) and A Bathing Ape (Tokyo) are building the trend. One of the hottest items in urban wear last fall was the Bape hoodie. Authentic hoodies sell for around $750 U.S. in Japan.

Red and black camouflage BAPE Hoodie (2006) | Photo: unknown

Casio has much in common with shoe manufacturers like Nike and Converse. In 2006, they offered attention-getting camouflage sneakers, including Dunk and All Stars—like Casio staying current with the times.

Unlike the DW-6900 models from China sold in the U.S., the Jam’in Color Gs are made completely in Japan, including the strap and watch head, and details like the stainless steel strap tang. The watch is as tough as any G-Shock. It features a time mode, alarm, countdown timer and stopwatch, both with a range of 24 hours. It is water resistant to 20 bar (200 meters).

The histories of many Casio Japan designs have connections to prior G-Shock models, to art, and to popular culture. The Jam’in Color DW-6900, such as the model offered in red and black, is a good example from 2006.

Photo: Copyright ©2007 Bryan Andersen

This entry was posted on Monday, January 15th, 2007 at 2:03 pm and is filed under Casio. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.