G-SHOCK is taking the launch of its new £200 MUDMAN underground in the most literal way possible.
On October 15, a small group of guests will descend 1,375 feet into Cwmorthin Slate Mine in Eryri, North Wales, where Roni Size will perform a one-off drum and bass set beside the new GDG-B100.
The route to the venue is part of the event. Attendees will move through dark tunnels, wet passages and underground ravines, then use zip lines and abseil down rock faces before reaching the chamber.
The public ballot closed on October 9, but G-SHOCK says the performance will be broadcast through G-SHOCK Radio on the night and released afterwards.
The Mountain Will Become Part Of The Sound System
This is not simply a DJ booth placed inside a mine.
Vibration transducers will send elements of Roni Size’s set into the surrounding slate. Geophones and hydrophones will then capture frequencies moving through the rock, mud and water, allowing those sounds to feed back into the performance.
Casio says the team has already measured the mine’s impulse response and used convolution reverb to build what it calls Eryri’s lithoacoustic signature. In practical terms, the venue’s natural echo and vibration become part of the mix rather than background noise.
The set is due to be transmitted through G-SHOCK Radio using Starlink. G-SHOCK also plans to submit evidence from the event for independent recognition as the world’s deepest underground rave. Until that process is complete, it is better described as an attempted record than an established one.
The New MUDMAN Gets A Much Better Screen
The GDG-B100 is a more conventional purchase than the $80,000 sapphire G-SHOCK MRG-D5000, but it introduces a meaningful display upgrade to the MUDMAN family.
Casio has fitted a high-contrast memory-in-pixel LCD designed to remain readable in bright outdoor conditions. At night, a red LED backlight illuminates the display while helping the eyes retain more of their adaptation to darkness.
That combination makes far more sense in a wet mine than a high-gloss smartwatch display.
The case uses Casio’s Carbon Core Guard structure with carbon-fibre-reinforced resin. Gaskets around the button shafts help prevent mud and dust from entering, while a multi-component bumper guard takes inspiration from off-road vehicles and survival equipment.
The watch is shock resistant, mud resistant and rated for 200 metres of water resistance. It measures 63.6 x 49.6 x 16.2 mm and weighs 66 grams.
It Tracks Training Without Becoming A Full Smartwatch
An accelerometer handles step counting, while the watch can calculate distance, speed, pace and estimated calories. It stores up to 100 runs and 140 lap times per run, includes an interval timer and can vibrate for time or calorie targets.
There is no built-in GPS. The Casio Watches app can use a paired phone’s GPS to correct distance measurements, after which the watch can estimate running distance more accurately without remaining connected.
Bluetooth also provides automatic time adjustment, activity-history transfer, phone finding and notifications for calls, email, social media, calendars and reminders. The watch displays notifications and vibrates, but it is not designed for replying to messages from the wrist.
Power comes from a replaceable CR2032 cell with an estimated two-year life. That keeps the watch away from a charging cable, although it also means this MUDMAN does not use Tough Solar.
Three versions are available: black, dark green with orange accents, and sand with a black bezel. Casio UK lists all three at £200.
The GDG-B100 does not need a rave inside a mountain to prove that it can deal with dirt, darkness and rough conditions. It is simply one of the few watches whose launch venue demonstrates nearly every point on the specification sheet.
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Images courtesy of Casio / G-SHOCK
