A Retaliate Piece isn't a watch you baby, it's a Casio G-Shock underneath — a piece built on one of the toughest watch platforms ever made — and that's exactly why we chose it as the base for our custom G-Shock builds. But when you're wearing hand-set VVS1 stones in a 925 sterling silver bezel, a little bit of know-how goes a long way toward keeping your iced out G-Shock looking as sharp on year three as it did the day it arrived. Here's how to actually look after it.
Built for Real Life, Not a Display Case
The whole point of a G-Shock — and the reason it's become the go-to canvas for streetwear luxury watches around the world — is that it's meant to be worn. Shock resistance, water resistance, a case built to survive drops, knocks and everyday chaos: that's the DNA every Retaliate piece starts with. Our GRA certified stones are hand-set into the bezel of a genuine Casio DW6900 custom, not glued onto some flimsy aftermarket shell, so the setting itself is built to handle the same daily wear the base watch was designed for. You bought a custom G-Shock to actually wear it, and that's how we build them.
That said, "durable" doesn't mean "maintenance-free." A bit of regular care keeps the shine, the setting, and the bezel looking factory-fresh for years.
Cleaning Your Retaliate
The stones on a Retaliate Piece are hand-set in VVS1 Clarity — a material chosen specifically because it holds brilliance and clarity at such a great level. Every Retaliate piece ships with GRA certification confirming exactly what you're wearing. That clarity is also what makes cleaning simple.
- Warm water and a drop of mild dish soap is all you need. Skip anything abrasive.
- Soft-bristle brush (an old, clean toothbrush works fine) to gently work around the stones and along the bezel edge, where dust and everyday grime tends to settle.
- Rinse and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Don't air-dry sitting in direct sunlight — a quick towel dry is all it takes.
- Buff the case and band separately with a dry microfibre cloth to bring back the shine on the 925 sterling silver.
Do this every couple of weeks with regular wear, and after anything that gets the watch properly dirty — the gym, the beach, a big night out. It takes two minutes and it's the single best habit for keeping a bustdown Gshock looking iced rather than dull.
Don't forget the band while you're at it. The resin strap on a G-Shock DW6900 is built to handle sweat, sunscreen and general daily use without breaking down, but it still picks up grime over time. The same warm water and soft brush routine works here — just give it a quick once-over each time you clean the bezel, so the whole watch, not just the stones, stays looking new.
What to Avoid
A few things will dull the shine or stress the setting faster than normal wear ever would:
- Ultrasonic cleaners. They're common for traditional diamond jewellery, but they're not necessary here and can loosen a hand-set bezel over time. Stick to the manual clean above.
- Chlorine and saltwater exposure without a rinse. The G-Shock case handles it fine, but rinse the bezel afterward so salt and chlorine don't sit against the silver.
- Perfume, sunscreen, and lotion applied directly onto the watch. Let those dry before you put the watch on, the same way you'd treat any fine jewellery.
- Harsh chemical cleaners or anything with ammonia. Mild soap and water beats anything stronger.
None of this is about being precious with the watch. It's the same low-effort care you'd give any luxury G-Shock, and it takes minutes, not hours.
Storage Between Wears
Most Retaliate owners wear their watch daily — that's what it's built for — but if you're rotating pieces or travelling, a few basics protect the setting:
- Store it flat, not hanging, so there's no pressure on the bezel or the band.
- Keep it away from other jewellery in transit. Loose stones or hard metal edges rubbing against the bezel is how micro-scratches happen, not from daily wear.
- A soft pouch or the original tin box is genuinely enough. You don't need anything elaborate — just something that keeps it from knocking around loose in a bag or drawer.
- If you're not wearing it for an extended stretch, give it a clean before you put it away and another once you take it back out. Dust and oils sitting against the silver for weeks is worse than a quick wear-and-clean cycle.
Why the Craftsmanship Holds Up
Every Retaliate is hand-set by the same process, piece by piece — there's no shortcut version. That's part of why the lead time sits at 2–4 weeks: it's a handset diamond G-Shock custom process in every sense except the stone itself, built properly rather than rushed. Combined with a Casio G-Shock DW6900 base that was engineered for durability from day one, the result is a piece that's genuinely built to be worn hard, not just photographed once and left in a drawer.
That's the whole idea behind Retaliate as a brand — Australian-made, built for the world, and built to actually survive contact with your life. A few minutes of care every couple of weeks is a small trade-off for a piece designed to hold its shine for years, not months.
Got a Retaliate on the way or already in rotation? Treat it the way you'd treat any high-tension custom luxury piece — wear it, clean it occasionally, and let it do what it was built to do.