The G-SHOCK MRG-D5000 Builds a Blue Sapphire Case Without Screws, and Only Six Come to the U.S.

The G-SHOCK MRG-D5000 is a 20-piece blue sapphire G-Shock, and Casio America is bringing six of them to the U.S. between December 2026 and June 2027 at $80,000 each. Announced October 1, it builds the case and bezel from blue sapphire crystal and finds a way to hold it all together without screws.

It is the newest piece of the MR-G line, which launched in 1996 and turns 30 this year, as the Frogman 30th anniversary watch showed. The same blue sapphire theme arrives in two more watches in November, so there is a way into the idea at every price.

How the G-SHOCK MRG-D5000 Is Built

Sapphire cracks when screws pinch it. So the G-SHOCK MRG-D5000 uses a Multi-Guard Structure, a case and bezel made of separate components assembled without screws, in a way that draws on Japanese kigumi joinery. Casio says it is the first G-SHOCK to get a shock-resistant structure out of blue sapphire parts, and that it studied how force travels into the crystal before laying it out.

The sapphire is cut from ingots, and only sections with the right color and clarity are used. A blue sapphire is also set into the Grade 5 titanium case back, which is a screw-lock design engraved with a number from 1/20 to 20/20. The titanium portions are DLC-treated, and the glass is sapphire with an anti-reflective coating.

The dial is blue with 24k gold lettering over a brick pattern. A Dura Soft rubber strap with a one-touch three-fold clasp fits wrists from 145 to 215 mm. The case measures 51.1 by 43.2 by 16.5 mm and weighs 121 grams, so this is a large watch.

For all that jewelry, the G-SHOCK MRG-D5000 is a working G-Shock. It is rated to 200 meters of water resistance and runs on Gallium Tough Solar, with about 11 months on a full charge in normal use without light and 22 months with power saving on. Accuracy is within 15 seconds a month without a signal.

The G-SHOCK MRG-D5000 is also radio-controlled, using Multi Band 6 time calibration with signals from Germany, England, the U.S., Japan and China, and it checks in up to six times a day. World time covers 38 cities plus UTC with automatic summer time switching, and the full calendar runs to 2099.

The tool set is classic G-Shock: a 1/100-second stopwatch, a 24-hour countdown timer, five daily alarms with a snooze, an hourly time signal and a Super Illuminator LED backlight with auto light and afterglow. Nothing about the sapphire changes how the watch works.

Price and Availability for the G-SHOCK MRG-D5000

The price is $80,000, and the six U.S. pieces arrive on a staggered schedule through June 2027. Casio’s product page says registration, selection and the purchase window are still subject to final terms, and that availability may vary by location. For most of us, this watch will be something to look at in photos and in a display case.

Two Blue Sapphire Watches Beside the G-SHOCK MRG-D5000

The MRG-B5000SA is limited to 500 pieces at $6,600 and arrives in November. A pair of two-carat, eight-facet blue sapphires sit at the top and bottom of the case, and they are lab-grown. The top bezel is COBARION, a super-hard alloy, with blue arc ion plating on the case and bezel, and the case back carries an MR-G 30th logo.

It is solar and radio-controlled, with Bluetooth and 20 bar of water resistance. The GMW-B5000SB is the lower-priced way in. It is a full-metal G-SHOCK with blue sapphire stones set at four points on the front of the bezel, listed at $770 from November at gshock.com, the G-SHOCK Soho Store and select retailers. Our GMWBZ5000 story covers another full-metal piece.

Taken together, the three watches show where Casio is heading with sapphire. Twenty pieces is a small experiment, and what Casio learns about holding sapphire without a screw is the part to watch.

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