Ed Sheeran Partners With Hodinkee to Release a Limited-edition G-Shock
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Hodinkee and John Mayer are back with a project that expands upon their program of having “friends” of Mayer’s design their own G-Shock watches. Throughout the remainder of 2023, Hodinkee and G-Shock will launch three artist collaborations that will be available for purchase at the online watch retailer.
Hodinkee, which is backed by Bernard Arnault’s LVMH Luxury Ventures, collaborated with Mayer beginning in 2020 and through 2022 to launch a trio of G-Shock watches, each of which sold out in a matter of minutes. The success of the collaborations is proof that the market for flipping watches isn’t just reserved for five-figure Swiss watches.
More from WWD
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reveals the 'Reverso Stories' Exhibits' North American Debut in New York City
Christina Aguilera Strikes a Pose in Monôt Corset to Announce Las Vegas Residency
“Our partnership with G-Shock began several years ago, when John Mayer approached us looking to design and launch his very own G-Shock inspired by a vintage keyboard from his childhood. We began kicking around this particular idea around 2020 and after three years of immediately sold-out collaborations with John, he and our team spoke a lot about how this partnership could continue to evolve and how we could translate the legacy and success of these past projects,” said Eneuri Acosta, chief brand officer of Hodinkee. “John had the idea of bringing in a few friends of the show to design their very own G-Shock — co-collaborators who are tied to him through the world of music, of course, but also design, style and watches. It was an opportunity to reach entirely new audiences and hopefully create a new generation of watch collectors — the opportunities for crossover were endless.”
English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran was chosen for the first release, with the new G-Shock Ref. 6900, Subtract by Ed Sheeran. Over the past few months Sheeran has been spotted wearing an unidentified yellow G-Shock while on tour across the U.S., which led many to speculate among his fan base online and on social media that he was wearing a custom G-Shock made for the tour or an unidentifiable, not-yet-released limited edition.
The style is inspired by the album artwork for Sheeran’s latest album, “Subtract,” and features a resin case and strap in a bold and bright yellow colorway. The dial features an abstract interpretation of Sheeran’s face, as well as a sketched subtraction sign at 12 o’clock, as seen on the “Subtract” album cover, homing in on muted reds, oranges, greens and blues, while the famed G-Shock “Triple Graph” display features yellow surrounds. Black text is used across the case, drawing the eye to the Mode and Start/Stop indicators and the Adjust and Split/Reset indicators, and as a final nod to the album, the strap is adorned with black watercolor splatters that pull from Sheeran’s album artwork.
“This watch is so much more than just a watch for me. I collect watches because they allow me to collect memories, and this G-Shock is just that — it is a tangible memory of the stories, feelings and experiences that influenced the ‘Subtract’ album. Wearing this watch over the last six months while on tour has allowed me to create so many more memories within it, and it has become a watch that I really don’t want to take off,” said Sheeran in a statement.
“When John Mayer reached out and asked if I’d like to be the first artist to design a G-Shock for this new series, it was an easy ‘yes,’ and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Like John, G-Shock holds a special place in my heart and I hope that this is a piece of Subtract that fans can wear and, in doing so, create their own memories with the watch,” said Sheeran.
The G-Shock Ref. 6900, Subtract by Ed Sheeran will be available to purchase for $185 on Oct. 18 at 11 a.m. ET exclusively at Hodinkee’s e-commerce sit.
Best of WWD
