Hodinkee reports on a visit to Casio's Yamagata factory, the brand's sole Japanese manufacturing site responsible for "Made in Japan" watches, including the GW5000U. The factory, located in Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture, focuses on industrial production, including quartz movement manufacturing, injection molding, and a Premium Production Line, with specialized seismic isolation systems for machinery due to Japan's earthquake-prone environment.
Yamagata Casio is Casio's "mother factory" and the only Japanese manufacturing site, responsible for all "Made in Japan" Casio and G-Shock watches.
The factory is located in Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture, a region known for fruit production, particularly cherries.
The facility includes a museum area showcasing Casio's watchmaking history and iconic models.
Two exclusive G-Shocks with a Yamagata Casio logo on the strap are available only to visitors of the factory.
The "Building G" section, opened in 2018, is dedicated solely to watchmaking, while other product lines are manufactured elsewhere on the large site.
Machinery is mounted on a seismic isolation system to absorb ground tremors and stabilize the factory floor during earthquakes.
The Molding Department utilizes injection molding for resin parts like G-Shock cases and straps, with a significant team dedicated to creating and maintaining the molds.
Die-sink EDM is used for creating molds with sharp internal corners, which are less suited for CNC-machining.