The season of collaborations continues, with a new watch from Hodinkee, G-Shock, and John Mayer. Yes indeed, that John Mayer. A longtime friend of Hodinkee (he was the first ever Talking Watches guest), Mayer is not only a musician and mogul, but a serious watch collector. He?s a natural collaboration partner for Hodinkee, and his affection for G-Shocks is well known. Let?s take a closer look at the G-Shock Ref 6900 by John Mayer. 
The 6900 was launched in 1995 and is perhaps the G-Shock most associated with the 90s. The unique ?triple-graph? dial is instantly recognizable, and this design is often credited with establishing G-Shock as a fixture in the fashion and streetwear scenes, two areas that remain important to the brand to this day. This is actually the second major collaborative release seen for a 6900 this year – we saw a Kith branded limited edition back in February, which speaks to the hold this watch has on the streetwear and sneaker communities, and popular culture in general. This is a roundabout way of saying that the 6900, in particular, feels like the right starting point for a collaboration with Mayer, who has an obvious and genuine interest in fashion.
The aesthetics of this particular Ref 6900 are inspired by another important Casio product, Casiotone SK-5. According to Mayer, this relatively humble sampling keyboard played a key role in his own musical development as an adolescent, and elements of the keyboard?s design have been ported ...