Worn & Wound
Introducing the G-SHOCK MRGB2000KT3A “Kobayashi Masao”
I’ll be honest and say it right off the bat: the G-SHOCK MRGB2000KT3A is not for me. Still, I am just one person in an endless ocean of watch enthusiasts, so I’ll try to take a look at the MRGB2000KT3A through the eyes of someone it is for. After all, I am not immune to the allure of a G-SHOCK; I’ve owned several, and they’ll always have a place in my heart as one of the first watch brands that I really loved. So, with my new persona adopted, let’s dive into the newest-and most limited-model in the MRG-B2000 series. The first notable thing about the MRGB2000KT3A is the name attached to it. Kobayashi Masao, a master metalsmith and engraver from Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, has lent his craft to the watch in a big way, etching a phoenix on the bezel. Perhaps I am making that sound rather tame, though; to clarify, the phoenix peeks out from the left side of the bezel, with flames mirroring its position on the right side. The engraving’s dramatic persona is based on the phoenix design on the tsuba iron guard-a fitting between a Japanese sword’s hilt and the blade-of Kobayashi Masao’s MR-G katana, making a connection between the watch and the artist’s own line of work. The deep-layer hardened titanium bezel wears a distinctive blue-green kurogane-iro (“iron color”) shade, thanks to a green DLC coating and brown Arc Ion Plating (AIP). Stippling further texturizes the bezel, and four emerald-capped screws sit at the 1, 5, 7, and 11 o’clock positions. No...
