Editor’s Note: Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) has moved online and Baselworld 2020 is canceled, but that hasn’t stopped watch brands large and small from debuting their new wares. Stay on top of this year’s best new watch releases here.
Well, here’s something you don’t see every day.
Michael Wolfensohn, originally from Tiblisi, Georgia, is an Israeli software professional whose passions include design, fashion, motorcycles and watches. Last year, Wolfensohn fell in love with the full-metal G-Shock GMW-B5000D-1, but couldn’t get his hands on one when they immediately sold out. Undeterred, he decided to make his own, fashioning a hybrid watch out of a resin DW5600E-1V and replicating the case and bezel in stainless steel.
But Wolfensohn didn’t stop there. Deciding he wanted a mechanical movement inside his new G-Shock project watch, Wolfesohn had to redesign the new metal case to fit a Swiss-made ETA 2824-2. To do this, he 3D-scanned the original case and used a CNC machine to produce a new one in stainless steel. Now he need a new dial that would fit this redesigned case, and so he turned to a jeweler from Russia who produced two types: one in 18k gold and one in sterling silver, both and cut with a laser cutter, radially finished by hand and engraved with Wolfensohn’s name and a series of numbers. The numbers represent the three-digit ISO country codes of the countries whose materials and workmanship feature in the watch:
392: Japan (G-Shock is a Japanese brand)
643: Russia (case, leather straps, hands, dial)
156: China (the DW5600E-1V is manufactured in China)
376: Israel (the entire design and assembly process takes place in Israel by Wolfensohn)
756: Switzerland (the mechanical ETA 2824-2 movement is produced here)
The watch’s unique handset — which is produced in stainless steel and finished by hand — is designed by Wolfensohn and manufactured in Moscow by an independent watchmaker. Finally, the project is rounded out by a calfskin leather strap made by an artisan who specialized in watch straps as well as an AR-coated sapphire crystal.
Water resistance on this G-Shock hybrid is quoted at 30m rather than the brand’s familiar 200m, but we’re guessing given the calfskin strap and precious metals involved in the construction (at least in the gold-dialed version) that you’re probably not going to venture into the water with this unique creation. Much more of an incredible artistic endeavor and a love letter to G-Shock than a watch you’re going to want to beat up, the Wolfensohn “Swiss Shock” in silver or gold costs $4,995. Each project is a custom order and requires 40-60 days of work, but ships with a 2-year warranty. Wolfensohn is also offering customization services for other G-Shock projects, so check out his website if you’ve got any ideas!
The best way to catch up on the day’s most important product releases and stories. Read the Story
Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.
