The Against Lab x G-Shock Collab Takes Us Back to the ‘90s

Kuala Lumpur—Streetwear brands from the far east are on the up and up. The next label to watch out for could literally be just around the corner. Last week, in my case, it was right down the street.  

My good friend Jeff from Stussy Kuala Lumpur gave me a heads up to check out a local store in Bukit Bintang just a few doors down from the chapter store called Against Lab where a collaboration with watch brand Casio was recently launched. The space had an impressive collection of vinyl records of artists such as Beastie Boys, Outkast and N.W.A as you enter the store while further inside revealed listening stations of some more ‘90s hip-hop greats you could listen to on Sony Walkmans. In the middle of everything stood a white pedestal resembling a giant cassette tape with the Against Lab x G-Shock collab watch on display.  

ALSO READ

You Know What? Just Buy Them This G-Shock

A Casio G-Shock Prototype Sold at Auction for P22 Million

Against Lab came to be through a shared love of street culture & clothes of its three partners who all come from different backgrounds: retail, graffiti/illustration and marketing. With just limited resources, the brand was established in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2015. Representing the spirit of the underdog, Against Lab goes by the motto: All endeavour, no surrender.

On the other hand, G-Shock creator Mr. Kikuo Ibe’s mission to create an unbreakable watch in 1983 shocked the world with a concept of toughness that defied conventional watchmaking logic then as it still does today. In its 40 years of existence, G-Shock has produced technologically advanced watches that can resist gravity, freezing temperatures, high water pressure, and magnetic fields. Its endless pursuit of toughness has given us a product built to last for generations, and it has since sold over 100 million watches in more than 100 countries.

For the G-Shock Premium collection, the highest standards of engineering and rigorous testing at its design center in Yamagata, Japan ensures that every watch stays true to the original concept and only the finest materials and styling are employed to deliver the best timepieces.

Against Lab’s second collab with Casio, The Universal Language DW5699, reimagines the G-Shock cult classic, which was the first G-Shock to feature an EL backlight by looking to the past. With music at its core and throwing it back to the bygone era of cassette tapes, the watch’s design is a tribute to the universal language that knows no borders and transcends cultures. It features a resin band with a matte finish. Coding label is found on the strap’s design as well as Against branding in old-school typewriter font. The strap’s loop features side indication similar to what’s seen on cassette tapes from the 90’s. The Against logo is also found on the watch’s backlight encased in mineral glass.  

Resilience and individuality are shared values of Against Lab and G-Shock. Just like the timeless appeal of good music, the watch goes perfectly with those who take the time to make a statement. With a price tag of MYR595 (or roughly about P7,400), The Universal Language DW5699 takes you back to another place and time just like good music can.  

The watch is available now at Against Lab in Kuala Lumpur, againstlab.com and Atmos KL.