Perhaps aside from its electronic keyboards and calculators, Casio is probably most known for its watches, especially its line of durable G-Shock timepieces which make great options for people after affordable but durable watches. That said however, it turns out that the Japanese watchmaker has also been making specially-designed watches for the UK’s armed forces, under its now-public “Special Projects” department.
Essentially, the Special Projects department is a covert division within the watchmaker that develops bespoke, mission-ready G-Shock timepieces exclusively for elite military, police, and intelligence personnel. In an interview with Esquire, Casio’s Special Projects lead Warren Halliwell revealed select details about the division, which recently unveiled the “Trident” G-Shock, a custom GMW-B5000 created for the Royal Navy Submarine Service (which has raised over £5,500 for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, mind you).
Growing Demand
Photo: Casio
While high-end luxury watch brands like Bremont, Tudor, and Breitling have long produced military unit watches, Casio’s digital timepieces serve as a more practical standard for active operators. The company established Special Projects in 2024 to address growing demands for customized operational gear, marking the first time the brand has officially customized its timepieces for frontline units.
Halliwell emphasized that smartwatches pose a serious operational security threat due to GPS tracking and wireless data leaks, making analog and basic digital “dumb watches” vital for field personnel. It’s also worth noting that military feedback directly influences consumer-grade Casio models, as seen with the arrival of low-visibility red LED displays on commercial G-Shock models. Halliwell states:
There are certain things we can’t discuss. But units get in touch saying, “We’d like to have our crest here,” or, “We’d like a watch made out of a particular material,” or, “We’d like a watch to serve a very specific purpose.” That didn’t exist until we started it.
Casios and G-Shocks are issued to the military as standard. If you’re a new recruit, you receive a Casio or a G-Shock anyway, so we’re very lucky in that respect. But this is very specialised stuff. It’s for certain units, built to withstand and do certain jobs.
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Strict Security
Halliwell adds that the Special Projects department operates under strict security protocols, and works on non-connected, electromagnetic-pulse-resistant models designed for high-risk environments. Among its high-profile commissions are specialized watches for the Royalty Protection Unit at Windsor Castle, Counter Terrorism Bomb Disposal officers, and Royal Navy submariners.
Purchases are also tightly controlled through verification processes with the UK Ministry of Defence, to ensure that bespoke timepieces only reach verified active personnel, veterans, and their families. Casio continues to expand its custom tactical developments, testing watches against extreme temperature ranges, magnetic fields, and specialized operational demands.