Within the watch industry’s current boom in wild colors, Casio’s monolithic G-Shock line has established itself as one of the most vibrant players in the field. At nearly every level of the brand’s hierarchy, from $100 entry-level designs all the way up to hand-finished luxury showcases of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, the G-Shock series offers bold and varied color options that stand apart from its more conservative competitors. The high-end MT-G series is traditionally one of the brand’s most intricate platforms for color and finishing, and Casio’s latest release may be its most strikingly chromatic to date. The new limited edition Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix takes on a Chinese mythical inspiration with dramatic gradient ion plating and the brand’s legendary durability.

Measuring in at 51mm by 55.1mm, the stainless steel and carbon case of the Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix will likely be an attention-grabber on the wrist. Casio has made a specialty out of ion plating finishes in recent years, engineering a wide array of shades, including kaleidoscopic rainbow gradient patterns. The rainbow finish used for the Blue Phoenix is certainly among the brand’s most spectacular, with a cascading range of tones across the complex angular integrated bracelet forms flowing from rich cobalt blue to deep violets, oranges, and fiery yellows. Due to the complex layered process used to apply the color gradient finish, Casio claims no two of these cases are alike, with each individual model presenting a slightly different pattern. The brand accents this complex color spectrum with gold ion plating for the bezel screws, crown, and pushers, emphasizing the luxe feel and complexity in initial images while softening the look with a relatively subdued color. The case sports a complex mix of brushed and polished surfaces to accentuate the multifaceted design, making this already conspicuous design even more eye-catching. Like other members of the MT-G line, Casio equips the Blue Phoenix with its Carbon Core Guard system, protecting the quartz movement inside a central carbon chassis sandwiched by stainless steel case layers. Despite this multi-part case solution, the Blue Phoenix still offers the G-Shock line’s signature 200 meters of water resistance.

Casio echoes the case’s broad spectrum of colors in the dial of the G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix, bringing a surprising variety of hues to the futuristic layout. Pops of pale pink, lime green, sunny yellow, deep red, and hazard orange add spice to the primarily blue and black dial design, and in true G-Shock fashion the MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix packs in a staggering amount of complications into its set of four subdials. These complications include a day/date display, a 24-hour chronograph, a 24-hour countdown timer, a second time zone display, a 24-hour dual time indicator, and a daily alarm. As with the case, the dial of the Blue Phoenix shines a spotlight on the complex finishing used for the MT-G line, with surfacing ranging from matte to aggressive brushing, ridged striping, bead blasting, polished chamfers, and azurage.

Like previous versions of the MTGB2000 line, the Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix is powered by an in-house quartz movement. Apart from the previously mentioned complications, this movement also includes a dual-coil motor for the hands to allow the handset to quickly move out of the way of relevant complications or adjust to new time zones. It also integrates the brand’s Tough Solar charging technology, as well as Multiband 6 radio-controlled atomic timekeeping and Bluetooth connectivity to allow for additional telemetry and easy setting through the G-Shock Connected app. Casio claims a battery life of 29 months after a full solar charge. To complete the Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix, the brand pairs the watch with its signature resin strap in a deep translucent navy blue with a ridged texture.

With an audacious ion-plated color scheme and a smorgasbord of high-end finishes, the limited edition Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix offers a theatrical look at the stylistic tools used for Casio’s more upmarket offerings. Although the G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix is a limited edition, Casio has not specified the exact number of pieces that will be produced. The Casio G-Shock MT-G MTGB2000PH2A Blue Phoenix will be available through select G-Shock authorized dealers, the G-Shock Soho Store, and the brand’s online sales platform in June 2021 at an MSRP of $1,100. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.