Tyler Frederick
The 90s called…
Being born in 1994, I didn’t really get to have the full “90s experience” for obvious reasons, but I did enjoy a childhood filled with amazing things from the 80s and 90s that would become nostalgic staples for me, even into adulthood. One of my earliest memories is playing Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis with my dad in our living room on our big box TV, along with Ayrton Senna’s Super Monaco Grand Prix, Afterburner II, and Altered Beast. However, most of my initial memories of gaming began when my dad acquired the first PlayStation and the hours spent playing Crash Bandicoot, Ridge Racer, F1 2000 and Knockout Kings 2000 (one of the best boxing games ever). The PlayStation was released in 1995 along with many other cool things: movies like GoldenEye, Apollo 13, and Toy Story; cars such as the Ferrari F50; and the watch I’ll be talking about today, the 30th Anniversary Casio G-SHOCK DW-6900TR.
I would like to take a quick second to thank the folks from 8-bit Beans for allowing me to do this photo session in their arcade/storefront. I’ve been going to 8-bit for years, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to shoot this watch than around a bunch of retro arcade games and consoles, so thank you all so much for the opportunity and extremely friendly welcome, and for not thinking I was just some weird dude with a watch and a camera.
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Key Features of the Casio G-SHOCK DW-6900TR
My love started in high school, and one of my first watches, apart from my childhood Timex Ironman mentioned in an article a while back, was an all-white model that resembled a standard 6900, which has since been lost to time. Man, did I think I was cool! Looking back, I now shiver at the thought of having an all-white watch on my wrist, but you make some choices when you’re a kid that aren’t always tasteful. No sense in dwelling on the past, right? G-SHOCK has been a brand that has followed me ever since, from the time I wasn’t a collector at all to my current interests as a writer and collector. They’re consistently at the forefront of the hobby and produce a watch that’s loved by many.
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Having one of these on my wrist is always a throwback and gives such a 90s vibe. I couldn’t help but bring this to the arcade, play some games, and get some wrist time in. While I sat in my booth playing Ridge Racer 4, I made quite a few mistakes on the track as I kept looking down at my wrist and hand, wearing a G-SHOCK and holding a PS1 controller. I felt like I went back in time, and it was a slice of revisiting my childhood. This was also the era before controllers had joysticks, only featuring the directional pad, which added another level of difficulty to gameplay.
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While many think it’s just another resin-cased digital from Casio, there’s something special about experiencing something from an era when tech and gaming were entering such a beautiful phase of growth and popularity, whilst experiencing said tech and games.
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On the wrist, it feels like your typical DW-6900; the formula hasn’t changed much since its initial release in 1995, or since its predecessors in 1992 (Triple Graph DW-5900-C1) and 1994 (DW-6600-1V). Most of the wearing experience comes from a place of nostalgia, for those looking to experience a G-SHOCK for the first time or those who just love an easygoing digital watch that’s a design icon and has continued to be since day one.
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It is on the larger side, but that’s to be expected, and the resin case and strap have your typical matte finish, with a rigid strap that doesn’t have too much flex, but somehow feels supple and comfortable once you put it on. I’ve owned a couple of DW-6900s, and I can say they feel relatively similar across the line, but it’s a great watch nonetheless. While the functionality remains the same as other DW-6900s, the coolest feature is the back light, which shows “Since 1995” when pressed in a dimly lit, or in my case black lit, room.
Quibbles
Real quick with this one: the size. They’ve always been large watches, but again, if you’re buying one of these or anything else in the DW-6900 line, expect a big watch. They’ve been unapologetically large from day one, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change, nor should it. They’ve consistently stood on the hill of being a large watch, and they’re still awesome to wear and experience.
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Final Thoughts
It’s a DW-6900 with some vintage flair; what’s not to love? These and other watches from G-SHOCK are often within a price point that’s accessible to everyone, and they’re just a great watch to have for outdoors, indoors, chilling at home—whatever you decide to do with your time. I believe every collection should have a G-SHOCK of some sort, but that’s just my opinion; do what you will with your money.
Speaking of money, these are a great budget-friendly option and retail for $165.
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Thanks again to our friends at Gem Bijou for giving me the chance to check out the G-SHOCK 30th Anniversary DW-6900TR. See you in the next one and thank you for reading!
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About the author
Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.
Take Two articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of vintage and preowned watches and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise.
Please understand that using any links to products on this site might make us money.
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