The BGA-310 is a lifestyle watch made for teenagers, combining the practicality of an outdoor watch with the high design of a fashion watch. With this watch, we started development using a pre-run design approach. Using this approach, which is conducted separately from the usual product development, designers envision lifestyles several years in the future, design products, and test prototypes to ensure feasibility for mass production. We showed the prototypes to focus groups both in and outside Japan, gathering opinions as feedback to guide the further development of the product. This time we’re proposing a BABY-G that is great for both outdoor activities and everyday life. Young people today enjoy outdoor activities as an integral part of their daily lives, not as special trips. More people than ever are freely enjoying the outdoors by camping or picnicking; and outdoor themes are showing up more and more in fashion, too, as what was once a hobby is established as a lifestyle. So we created a vision for this new model — a watch that can be put to good use outdoors, and support a good mood every day. We wanted to create a product that delivers fun, convenience, and style — all in one watch that appeals to the sensibilities of contemporary teens.

BABY-G watches have always been a great match for the outdoors. Their shock- and water-resistance ensure they can endure hard use, and they are packed with handy features like the backlight, which makes it easy to see the time even in the dark. The new BGA-310 takes this kind of versatility even further. The large, easy-to-read dial features a second hand, rare for a digital-analogue combination model. The oversized hour and minute hands, along with the index marks, are finished with glow-in-the-dark paint. And with the handy auto-light function, a simple tilt of the wrist illuminates the dial — great if your hands are dirty or full. These functions were built into the watch to help users actually enjoy camping and other outdoor activities. The idea was to ensure that the watch not only has the right look, but also supports a uniquely BABY-G “outdoor style,” unlike a typical outdoor fashion item. Of course, these functions will also come in handy in daily teenage life as well, with a focus on functions teens will want to use every day, not just on special occasions.

From clothing, shoes, and bags to various knick-knacks, the world is full of goods with an outdoor motif. So how does the outdoor motif look even better on a BABY-G? Some keywords that we employed were “kawaii,” “fun,” and “exciting.” The model’s rounded form recalls the outdoor items of today, with the side buttons rounded along with the face; the large front button is placed to retain the model’s iconic design. And for a touch of whimsy, you can catch a glimpse of the watch’s interior from a slit on the side. We’ve kept the number of colours down for a simple, streamlined look. Nature-inspired earthy colours are presented in muted tones so they don’t look overly cutesy. The newest colour offerings, blue and pink, aren’t the vivid hues of previous models, but paler hues carefully selected from among many specially prepared colour samples.

We were just as exacting when it came to the bands for the BGA-310. First of all, the material: The cloth band for the BGA-310C, specially designed to add outdoor flavour to the watch, is made from recycled plastic bottles, sure to please today’s eco-minded young people. A watch for lovers of the great outdoors, the BGA-310 literally embodies a deep care for nature, with the casual yet important message that, just by choosing this watch, you’re doing the right thing for the environment. Then, there’s the fit. Unlike conventional bands, which are fixed to the case, there’s now a wider range of motion at the lug where the band connects, for a better, more comfortable fit. We were very particular about fit, since people will wear this watch every day. The band can be laid entirely flat on a table or other surface, making the watch a natural star in social media snaps of stylish picnics or chic camping weekends.