Pretty Poison: Meet the Intoxicating New Frogman GWFA1000APF1A from G-SHOCK

The etymology of the term “frogman” refers to the nickname given to early divers. However, since World War II, “frogman” has come to mean someone trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity. So, when Casio applied this nomenclature to its toughest family of G-SHOCK models in 1993, it was a particularly apt use of the term.

And just as frogs are amphibious, the G-SHOCK Master of G Frogman has proven its mettle in the water, on land, and beyond.
 

That’s why, to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Frogman collection, it feels very timely to introduce a timepiece inspired by the poison dart frog, a rare species living in the Amazon rainforest. This limited-edition model features a multicolor layered carbon bezel and polarized fluorine band in a Frogman design boasting unique colors, materials, and finishes inspired by this small but powerful amphibian.
 

Let’s hop right into why this watch is so dangerously delightful.

Dendrobatidaes, or poison dart frogs, are native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. While some are toxic and some are not, all are brightly colored.

As a general rule of thumb, the brighter the frog’s coloring, the more toxic their poison is. And luckily for us, the case of the Frogman GWFA1000APF1A uses black, orange, and blue swirls to emulate the beautiful colors of the poison dart frog without the deadly toxicity.
 

While these patterns look organic, the bezel is cut from a base material of laminated carbon and glass fibers. This technique ensures that each piece is unique. Plus, by using similar colors on the dial and clear resin for the bezel components, the bezel’s multicolor design carries throughout the watch, creating a cohesive aesthetic.
 

Of course, GWFA1000APF1A’s monocoque carbon case still features G-SHOCK’s trademark character. However, since this edition is meant to resemble a poison dart frog, it includes flourishes like a fluoroelastomer band treated with a polarized paint that changes colors based on how the light hits its surface.

It’s a fun-looking watch, but not in a playful or cute way. With its supersized asymmetrical 51.7mm x 19.7mm dimensions (including a 56.7mm lug-to-lug measurement), the Frogman GWFA1000APF1A is much larger than the tiny tree frog that inspired it. But it needs to be big because it’s built with the purposeful toughness typical of a G-SHOCK Frogman.
 

Of course, 2023 is not only the 40th anniversary of the G-SHOCK brand, but 2023 also marks the 30th anniversary of the Master of G Frogman series. And this model is the second to note this series’ important milestone (the first was the black and gold GW8230B-9A). However, for a collection to last this long, it must not only be popular and built to last, but it must also evolve.

While the silhouette of this edition remains pretty faithful to the 1990s original, the hard-wearing features of the GWFA1000APF1A have expanded. The specs cite a Super Illuminator (high-brightness LED light) for maximum readability in the dark, and dual coil motors drive the hour, minute, and indicator hands for high-speed operation and quick switches between time, dive, tide indicator, and other modes.
 

Additional features of the GWFA1000APF1A include shock resistance, ISO Diver’s 200M water resistance, magnetic resistance, Tough Solar power, Multi-Band 6, Bluetooth mobile link to the G-SHOCK Connected app, dual time, 1/1-Second stopwatch, 24-hour countdown timer, daily alarm, and more.