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resin rot on G-shocks.

36K views 43 replies 30 participants last post by  LUW 
#1 ·
How long do the resin bezel and straps on g-shocks last? Is there anything I can use to lengthen their lifespan?
 
#2 ·
From the FAQ:
https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=330290

In short, keep out of too much sunlight and acid. Even shorter: Don't wear it unless you're a vampire. Already dead, thus not sweating and never in the sun. :D It also says keeping it in a vacuum will increase it's life.

Given that extra straps and bezels are readily available that's what I'd do if I were really worried.

If you wanted to get one for investment purposes, you could take out the battery (to prevent leakage) and then seal it in a vacuum jar in the dark. That would be the best course of action in theory.

That said, when you see 1983 G-Shocks in auction, they often look still pretty good with no resin rot visible even if they have been worn.

I have a yellow 6630. The case darkened a bit. The bracelet is still as flexible and the same color as when I bought it in 1995/96.

Till
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Hi,
just wear it and forget about it. The ones lasting the longest are often the ones that get the crap beaten out of them. Storing dry and dark might not be the best option. Flexing and bending keeps the strap soft and flexible. Remember that cracking noise that panties make when stretched that were forgotten at the bottom of the drawer :-d? Wearing and not worrying too much is the best you can do. If it rots after 20 years I don't care - when I can get replacement parts - fine - if not I'll simply buy a new one - hopefully Casio will still produce G-Shocks then.

Greetings, Sedi :)
 
#26 ·
Remember that cracking noise that panties make when stretched that were forgotten at the bottom of the drawer :-d?
How are the stiff crackly panties doing these days Sedi? OMG could u have found a better comparison lol :rolleyes:

But might check out said spray, get into good habits etc.
Sent through Tapatalk on HTCs Desire.
 
#4 ·
The only G-Shock I have had that truly suffered rot was my old G-2000 that I gave in mint condition to the father-in-law. He managed to keep the watch on his wrist, due to parkinsons and not being able to remove it, most of the time through some harsh activities.

Hammering (smacking the watch usually), painting (including wiping the watch down with thinners afterwards), showering (washing the watch with soap), changing a petrol tank (petrol all over the watch), welding his old car (UV light and heat) and the list goes on.

It still wasn't that bad to be fair but as you can tell from the above, it's usually the chemicals and exposure to strong UV light that causes the resin to harden and rot.

On the otherhand, one of my most supple bezels is one that I soaked in goof-off nearly a year ago.
 
#5 ·
Some seem worse than others. Guess casio must've played with the formulation of their resin over the years. Have a couple of DW-5300 and you can see some dulling due to the resin rotting (I assume) in some way everytime I remove them from the drawer.
 
#6 ·
Every 5th or sixth time I wear one of my resin Gs, I rinse them thoroughly and then spay some 303 Aerospace Protectant on them. It might be a bit of overkill, but I bought them because I like them and would like to keep them as nice looking as possible for as long as I can. The 303 also provides some UV protection which should slow down the rotting process.
 
#10 ·
Every 5th or sixth time I wear one of my resin Gs, I rinse them thoroughly and then spay some 303 Aerospace Protectant on them. It might be a bit of overkill, but I bought them because I like them and would like to keep them as nice looking as possible for as long as I can. The 303 also provides some UV protection which should slow down the rotting process.
+1
I do exactly the same.:-!
 
#7 ·
I don't worry about rot or deterioration as much as I don't like when the edges of the resin bezel and strap start to get "shiny" from wear & tear. I prefer the all-matte look. When they start to gloss up, time to throw on a fresh bezel and band.

That's one of the great things about G-Shocks. How many watches can you think of that take day-to-day bumps and bruises with ease, and yet are so easy and cheap to restore to like-new appearance?

Cheers,

Dave
 
#9 ·
Exactly what I thought. Or a very low-abrasion sand paper. I imagine that would work well and is cheaper than replacing the bezel and strap.

Till
 
#12 ·
I did my homework on this very topic about a year ago, I use Vinylex protectant, plastic, rubber and resin restorer, it doesn't have any petroleum distilates in it which rot rubber, resin and plastic. It also has a special DH60 UV protectant in it, keeps your G's looking like new year round. I usually spray them down with it, let it sit on them for a few minutes, then wipe it off, once a month. Comes in a light blue spray bottle.|>
 
#13 ·
Hello to all.

I am going with member "rutteger" and think too that Casio may have played around with the formula for the resin over the years.

I used to have a lot of different G-Shocks and still have a few.
Most of them were bought by me new when they came out.
I really USED all my watches and did not care about them, cause they are G-Shocks, this was the reason I bought them - to have a watch which I would not have any fear to damage it.

But finally after years of use some bezels nicely crumbled to little pieces from one day to another :oops: :

WW-5300 / module 491 - bought in 1985

- bezel cracked by resin rot in 2004

- strap (sorry, I do not have the number) cracked by resin rot in 2005


DW-5600 / module 691 - bought in 1989:

- bezel and strap were still fine when I sold the watch this year (2010), definitely no signs of resin rot.


DW-5600 / module 901 - bought in 1991:

- bezel cracked by resin rot in 2007

- strap (141F6) still in good condition, no signs of resin rot


DW-5600 / module 901 - bought in 1995

- bezel cracked by resin rot in 2006

- strap (141F7 / 141F8) still in good condition, no signs of resin rot


I used to have a AW-500 / module 380, but lost this watch in the 90ies while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico - maybe the strap cracked because of resin rot, or maybe it was a broken spring-bar, I do not know, the watch seemed fine to me all the years and I bet it is still running strong on the bottom of the ocean :-!.

Last year I found a used AW-500 with module 380 in visible good condition, and in a sentimental mood I bought it and was happy to have one again, but:

- bezel looked fine when I got the watch but cracked by resin rot during cleaning.

- inside of the strap (278H1) was already partially cracked by resin rot when I got the watch.

I also used to have the following G-Shocks which had not a problem at all during the years I owned them - they had no signs of resin rot when I sold them between 2007 and 2009:

DW-5900
DW-6100
DW-6200
DW-6500
DW-6600
DW-6700
DW-6800


Hope this was of any interest for this interesting topic - the famous Casio resin rot on vintage G-Shocks :roll:

But I really think it´s nothing to fear about as long as there are spare bezels and straps available.
Okay, maybe not for a DW-5500, but who has one anyway :-d

Thanks for reading and greetings from Germany

sharpie
 
#17 ·
I am not too worried about my watches resin parts wearing out - by the time any rot sets in my watches should be a good few years old, and by that time probably deserve a replacement bezel to keep them smart, or even a new watch if the watch itself has taken enough of a beating.

Things like watch bands I look at like batteries - a disposable part that will wear out after a certain length of time, and just part of the cost of a watch.
 
#18 ·
Same here. But at least that point clearly goes to metal or composite bracelets. Usually no durability issues there. Sometimes the links or connections wear out but that would be over ten years of daily wear. On high price watches it makes sense to go with a metal band from the start and add a leather strap as an extra. I often change my watches to leather for the winter and in the summer I will wear the metal bracelet. Makes for a nice change of looks so things don't get boring and I get really good mileage out of the leather straps which can be darn expensive. A leather strap that is worn daily is good for about two years. Resin looks much better in that regard. It's the cost-per-wear winner, I suppose.

Till
 
#19 · (Edited)
I heard from somewhere you can restore/repair the resin or similar type of rubber by putting the bezel in hot water bath for a while. It will restore the flexibility and bonding. Some people put it in the cup of water and in the microwave few mins.

I used to do this on my RC Car tyres after prolong storage they starts to show cracks feel brittle so before I used them I put it in the microwave (in cup of water) to restore the flex.

this may be related but some other articles on the net might explain better
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7830199
 
#24 ·
I'm the latest to have this 'resin rot' but seem to have saved my G-shock just in time.

A couple of days ago I looked back over my old watches and the whole of my G-shock DW-9051 and the strap of my Casio JC-30 were really sticky to the touch (both have been stored not being worn for about 9 years in not damp conditions and I washed them both after the last time I wore them), I decided to give them a wash but while I was washing them the strap and sweat back of the JC-30 completely disintegrated in my hand, I set the G-shock out to dry but later when I came back it still looked wet (like it was greasy) and was now even stickier to the touch.
I took the strap off (so I could get in all the nooks) and gave the watch another bath this time giving it a much harder rub with the nail brush I was using, set it out to dry again and this time both parts seem to be aOK now, the case still does have a little flex in it and the strap can be bent as normal.

So all in all I think I have just caught the resin rot in my G-shock just in time, I dread to think what could have happened if I hadn't got them out for another 6 months/year, this breakdown must have happened in the past year as I took them out to look at last summer and don't remember anything untoward back then.
Going forward I'm going to store the body and straps separately as the 'rot' on the JC-30 was much worse where the strap and sweat back was in contact with each other, but I'm going to keep them apart more as more of a 'what if' precaution.

I do wonder if this breakdown in the resin can cause skin irritation in some people, I had to stop wearing both watches because both would make my skin red and then itch, even handling them yesterday made the tips of my fingers itch, the hard plastic of the JC-30s case doesn't seem to cause any irritation (and also doesn't break down) but the soft resins of the straps and the G-shock case do. (this is why I only wear all metal watches now as there is no irritation)

Also with those two watches I had a Casio ABX-53 (google search pic) this came on a cloth strap which I replaced with a generic non Casio resin strap and this had no signs of resin rot so I wonder if this resin rot is a Casio only 'defect'? as the ABX-53 is a few years older then the other two and has been looked after and gone through the same sort of use before I also stopped wearing it.
 
#25 ·
My downfall was buying a Real Black 8400 Mudman, i like it entirely too much and am always worried about it's lifespan. Luckily i was just able to pick up a spare band and bezel for it and asked the seller what i may do to keep the spares in top condition until they are needed down the road. He made the recommendation to keep them in a sealed environment with Silica pack or two, seemed like a sharp idea to me.

what is the easiest/ most affordable container that would maintain a vacuum over time, or is that unnecessary?

Should i get hit the spares with vinylex before they go in storage or do you guys think they will be better off on their own?
 
#27 ·
Wow... I hadn't heard of anybody recovering their band and bezel after it started getting gooey. Most of the time resin rot is like "dry rot", similar to what happens with wood. The resin becomes stiff, gets a whitish haze on the outside, and then will crumble with normal stressing.

Anyway, the empirical evidence with older G-Shocks is that certain models were very susceptible to resin rot (like the DW-5300 and older DW-6600), while others show only the slightest of erosion if at all. The ones that really failed didn't need sun exposure to make it happen, although sunlight probably accelerated it.

UV rays and high heat are the enemy of resin. The good thing is that more recent G-Shock watches have a better formulated resin. At least, this is what appears to be the case, and is easy to believe given the high tech world of resins and plastics having made significant advances in the past 10 years.

My downfall was buying a Real Black 8400 Mudman, i like it entirely too much and am always worried about it's lifespan. Luckily i was just able to pick up a spare band and bezel for it and asked the seller what i may do to keep the spares in top condition until they are needed down the road. He made the recommendation to keep them in a sealed environment with Silica pack or two, seemed like a sharp idea to me.

what is the easiest/ most affordable container that would maintain a vacuum over time, or is that unnecessary?

Should i get hit the spares with vinylex before they go in storage or do you guys think they will be better off on their own?
Spare resin shouldn't need to be treated at all, just kept in a dark place with normal temps and humidity (not too dry, not too wet). I wouldn't worry about putting it in a vacuum container or even put Silica packs in with them. I would think that lack of moisture would be worse than too much. Very dry conditions leech moisture from everything, and whatever composition of resin that gives it that "soft" quality might be harmed by too much dry.
 
#28 ·
I recently unearthed an old GW-1500 that I had forgotten about. It had the first signs of resin rot (the white, powdery coating on the band). It's not surprising, as it wasn't clean when it was put away and hadn't really been taken care of.

I cleaned the entire watch thoroughly with soap and water, then I cleaned/treated the resin parts with this stuff. It actually seems to have helped, but I think it's really too soon to tell. The label says it's designed for rubber and leather bands. <shrugs> Worth a shot, right?

(I will say that I've been using Veraet's "Watch Spray" to clean my watches for quite some time, and it's pretty great.)
 
#29 ·
I've bought quite a few "junk" lots off Yahoo japan and you get a mixed bag - dead batteries, missing bezels and the rest - I've had 2 which have totally disintegrated when I touched them - one was a DW-003 and the other a DW-6600 - but luckily Tiktox sell new bezels for the 6600 so I got a new one. It was sticky to the touch when I got the watch originally so I washed it thinking it had been in something - but then as mentioned above it fell apart (when I was drying it oddly enough) in great chunks and small bits almost like it was brittle. I doubt anything could have saved it. The DW-003 is still naked obviously so will probably be left on one side until either I see one or I think of a use for it.
 
#30 ·
Speaking of resin rot, I saw a shot of a DW-5600C in near mint condition, except for a resin bezel with classic rot dust on it:

Watch Stopwatch Technology Electronic device Timer


What's the prognosis on this one? To me, it looks like all it needs is a good cleaning and soaking in some restoration product of some kind. Or, is it more or less brittle at this point? I wouldn't dare take it off the watch, if I owned it. But, I do wonder if there's enough intact to save it from further decay.
 
#33 ·
Speaking of resin rot, I saw a shot of a DW-5600C in near mint condition, except for a resin bezel with classic rot dust on it:

View attachment 726042

What's the prognosis on this one? To me, it looks like all it needs is a good cleaning and soaking in some restoration product of some kind. Or, is it more or less brittle at this point? I wouldn't dare take it off the watch, if I owned it. But, I do wonder if there's enough intact to save it from further decay.
I've only had two keepers rot away on me and both of them looked fine until I washed and cleaned them up. I have had quite a few vintage G-Shocks with what you call the rot dust, I've washed them up and they have been fine since. I don't think that dust is anything to do with the rot; I don't know what it is though.
 
#34 ·
I was quite sad when the button of my MINK Mudman cracked earlier this week, while I changed the battery. See 50 Gs.

Wow, sorry to see such a nice old beauty start to fall apart on you, Sjors. The bezel cracked, the light button fell apart, and then the EL backlight stopped working. I wonder, if there's any chance that with the button damage that it has affected its travel. Maybe the contact is not getting touched properly? From what I understand about the design, the EL backlight shouldn't suddenly go dead. AFAIK, it should fade over time as it ages.

I've only had two keepers rot away on me and both of them looked fine until I washed and cleaned them up. I have had quite a few vintage G-Shocks with what you call the rot dust, I've washed them up and they have been fine since. I don't think that dust is anything to do with the rot; I don't know what it is though.
Interesting to hear this, psweeting. I've seen the white dust described as signs of the "weakener" that Sjors talked about in his blog, leeching out of the resin. It may be just the early signs of it, so the resin would still be pliable, but heading towards that point of eventually getting stiff and crumbling. Otherwise, it sounds like after this the rot is a "silent killer". Everything looks fine. You pick up the watch and decide to wipe the resin clean of dust and start to notice little black flecks on the white cloth--the resin starts coming off in your hands.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Well, just got my first experience with resin rot. From what I've read, it can happen primarily in three ways: turning to a gooey mess, crumbling into pieces when flexed, or hairline cracking until whole chunks fall off.

Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Strap Fashion accessory

I just picked up a DW-5700ML that was unfortunately represented with slightly blurry photos so it wasn't possible to make out the hairlines. The bezel doesn't look bad from a distance, but upon close examination there are several small cracks and one rather large crack. On the larger one, I could actually lift up the resin a few millimeters. I expected it would've cracked off, but it's still slightly pliable. Very strange. I'm now thinking that maybe some adhesive could be used to fill in the cracks, something like an epoxy resin with a thinner consistency than typical glue (so it can seep into the cracks). After stabilizing and sealing the existing cracks, the next task would be to try some kind of resin restorer in hopes of softening up the intact resin so that it won't crack. But a number of people who have owned vintage G-Shocks have said once resin rot starts, it doesn't stop. Bummer.
 
#39 ·
I did get one bottle just to try it ... its good stuff for cleaning probably ... but cant see any positive affect on the old bezels and bands ...
I can be wrong ... but not worth the money. IMO Vinylex is the best as of right now. If someone have a better way (or stuff) to take care of the vinage G's ... please let me know. Thanks.
 
#38 ·
Plastic whose softeners have evaporated can not be restored - the products just won´t seep in. You can, however, stabilize teh status quo andf to some extend stop or slow the process by using plastic care products. TZhey shield teh resin from UV rays (a bit, at least) and , as they form a film on the surface, will slow further evaporation.

If you just want to keep a watch as a piece of a collection, sometimes you can glue the parts togetehr with cyanacrylate based glue.

I would not remove a bezel in uncertain condition, clean it cautiously and maybe use a vynil/plastic protectant.
 
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