A wristwatch, an essential element of an attire, doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive to make you look elegant. This thought crossed my mind when my bank account declared that I couldn’t buy a watch above the price tag of $1,000. So, I decided to buy a Casio, but before spending my hard-earned dollars, I needed to know whether it’s a good watch brand or not. 

So, is Casio a good watch brand? Casio is an affordable Japanese watch brand, which has superior quality as compared to the others in the same price range. Its new additions in the G-Shock series have carbon fiber, which is ten times stronger than iron. They won the iF Design Awards, an annual international award for the best industrial design.

Casio watches are not just loved by the common public, but the celebrities also have a soft spot for them. Public heartthrobs such as Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga were seen sporting watches from the G-Shock and Baby-G collections. Apart from these series, there are multiple others whose features make them an excellent choice at an affordable price.

Where are Casio Watches Made?

Casio watches are made in Japan. Its headquarters is based in the capital of Japan, Tokyo. Initially, the company produced calculators and office equipment. It entered the watchmaking market in 1974 by introducing Casiotron, a digital quartz watch.

As I mentioned earlier, Casio didn’t manufacture watches during its early years of establishment. In fact, it took quite a while for them to enter the watchmaking industry after their inauguration. Let’s have a look at when this company started making watches and how it reached its current status:

• In April 1946, Kashio Seisakujo founded Casio in Mitaka, Tokyo.
• In November 1974, Casio entered the watchmaking industry with Casiotron, the first electronic wristwatch.
• In September 1978, the company produced 31-CS10B, its first wristwatch having the LCD feature.
• In November 1982, Casio produced AQ-500, a combination type analog watch.
• In April 1983, Casio took the watch world with a storm when it produced G-SHOCK (DW-5000C), the world’s first shock-resistant wristwatch.
• In January 1984, Casio conquered another milestone when it produced CD-40/401, a databank telephone number storage wristwatch.
• In March 1985, Casio further modernized and stylized the world’s most worn wrist accessory by introducing the Ultra-thin digital watch.
• In February 1989, Casio introduced the first wristwatch that could forecast weather trends.
• In April 1993, Casio produced a wristwatch with digital compass. It was a huge success among travel enthusiasts.
• In December 1994, Baby-G series came out, the G-Shock series for women.
• In March 2000, Casio produced the world’s first wristwatch that had the MP3 feature in it.
• In June 2000, Casio laid the foundation for smartwatches when it introduced WQV-1, world’s first wristwatch with a digital camera.

This journey indicates that Casio is a trendsetter in the watch industry.

Why are Casio Watches So Popular?

The three major reasons behind the popularity of Casio watches are:

1. They are inexpensive watches of superior quality and design. Their prices start from as low as $10.
2. Many of the Casio watches, specifically from the G-Shock series, have features such as shock resistance and water resistance of up to 200 meters.
3. Despite its low price, celebrities, including but not limited to, Justin Bieber and Kanye West wore it at multiple occasions. 

Apart from these, there are multiple other high-profile people that love a tough Casio on their wrists. Who are these, and where do they wear them? Let’s delve into the details:

• Bill Gates, yes, you read it correctly, the tech giant loves to sport a Casio watch. This down-to-earth guy’s favorite watch in 2019 is the Casio MDV-106-1A analog diving watch.
• Former FBI Director, Robert Mueller, never leaves his house without his signature Casio DW-290 watch.
• Do you know which wristwatch does Pope Francis wear in his day-to-day life? Well! It’s a Casio MQ24-7B. Certain media sources believe it’s a swatch, but the images captured on various occasions point otherwise.
• The Hyundai Motor Company’s vice-chairman, Chung Eui-Sun, recently signed a deal with Rimac Automobili while wearing a Casio F-91W.
• Russia’s Prime Minister, Dimitry Medvedev, was once spotted wearing a colorful G-Shock GA-110HC-1A.
• Chuck Feeney, the Co-Founder of the Duty-Free Shoppers Group and a well-known philanthropist who donated 99% of his wealth to the charity, had the Casio F-91W on his wrist at multiple occasions. 

Are Casio Watches Good?

Casio watches are inexpensive watches, which are one of the best in quality and design among their counterparts in the same price range. They were among the pioneers of quartz crystal watches. Their G-Shock series is extremely popular among sportsmen and military personnel because of its shock-resistance capability.

Apart from these, there are multiple other reasons which prove the superior quality of Casio watches. Some of them are listed below:

• In 2019, the Casio MTG-B1000 G-SHOCK watch won the iF Design Awards for the best industrial design.
• In 2011, the Casio A168/DBC-610/LA670 won the Good Design Long Life Design Award.
• Serena Williams wore a Casio computer watch during her Wimbledon victory in 2012.

What are the Top 5 Casio Watch Lines?

Throughout its prominent presence in the watch industry, Casio has come up with multiple watch lines. The top 5 ones among them are:

1. G-Shock
2. Edifice
3. Pro Trek Smart
4. Baby-G
5. Wave Ceptor

G-Shock

G-Shock series, no doubt, tops the list in terms of quality, design and fame among the Casio’s multiple versatile lines. Watch enthusiasts refer to it as ‘the toughest watch of all time’. This watch is the perfect depiction of its developer, Kikuo Ibe’s vision of ‘creating a watch that never breaks’.

It is a mandatory presence in most of the sportsmen and military personnel’s wardrobe because of its exceptional shock and water resistance capability. Let’s have a look at a few of G-shock’s prominent features:

• The main reason behind this line’s name is its superior electric shock, water, low temperature, vibration, gravity and shock resistance.  
• G-Shock watches utilize GPS Hybrid Technology, Multiband 6 Radio Technology and energy-efficient GPS to display accurate time throughout the world.
• Each watch has a small antenna present inside the mechanism, which receives radio signals and automatically adjusts the watch’s time according to the local time zone.
• Most of the watches are environmentally-friendly because they use solar technology to recharge their batteries.
• They have Smart Access system, which allows the users to easily utilize its numerous functions such as timer and stopwatch.  

Edifice

Whether you are in search of a watch for a professional appearance or a casual look, the Casio Edifice is there to spice up your style. This line is popular among people from all walks of life regardless of their profession. This line has a wide variety of sophisticated designs to choose from.

Some of the prominent features of Casio Edifice are as follows:

• These watches are linkable with your smartwatch, which allows them to check and adjust time four times a day in more than 300 different cities.
• You can also find your phone with the help of your Casio Edifice watch. All you need to do is rotate a button on the watch, which will send a signal to your phone and it will play a tone, even when its in the silent mode.
• These watches show both, your current location time and the world time. Furthermore, they have an a.m./p.m. display for the travelers’ convenience.
• Each watch has a small antenna, termed as Multiband 6, which receives radio signals from 6 transmission stations placed at different locations to sync with the local time automatically. 
• It has a tough solar power system, which absorbs energy from all types of fluorescent objects and then utilizes it to run high-load functions.

Pro Trek Smart

Pro Trek Smart is one of the most suitable watch lines for adventure enthusiasts. Since their arrival, they have been the ultimate favorite of outdoor lovers. There are multiple reasons for their immediate success among the thrill-seekers, some of them are listed below:

• They have version 3 technology, which is the most recent Triple Sensor. These three tiny sensors are the reason behind their precise height, direction, pressure and temperature measurement.
• These watches capture the tiniest bit of light through the Casio Tough Solar System and use it to operate various high-tech features.
• Pro-Trek watches are radio-controlled, which allows them to synchronize with the local time.
• Pro Trek watches have a built-in altimeter, which measures the air pressure and then displays the altitude accordingly.
• These watches have a barometer feature as well that measures and displays weather information.  

Baby-G

Are you a classy woman who loves a high-tech watch on her wrist? If yes, then Casio Baby-G is what you need in your accessories’ wardrobe. It was first released by Casio in 1994 for women who swooned over the G-Shock collection.

This tough watch has the same features as the G-Shock collection with a more colorful appearance.

This collection collaborated with some of the most prominent names of the showbiz and music industry for its promotion. The top names in this list include:

• Ke$ha
• Rebecca Minkoff
• Joyrich
• Married to the Mob

Wave Ceptor

If you want a watch that has an accuracy of one second in millions of years then Casio Wave Ceptor is the most suitable option. These watches are radio-enabled, which allows them to receive signals that transmit atomic clocks’ time from 6 different parts of the world.

Some of its prominent features include:

• These watches have Multiband 6 Radio Technology, a feature that enables them to receive radio signals from 6 different stations worldwide and display time as accurate as an atomic clock.
• Like most of its other series, this Casio line is also solar-powered and thus, environmentally friendly.
• Their rechargeable batteries have a lifetime of up to 10 years.

Are Casio Watches Cheaper in Japan?

As compared to other countries, Casio watches are available at a cheaper price in Japan. The 2017 Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, conducted by the Japanese Tourism Industry, confirmed this observation. The participants told the surveyors that watches in Japan are reasonably priced as compared to their home countries.

After reading this, most of you must be wondering, how could a watch have different prices in Japan and other parts of the world. Well, this is due to the following reasons:

• Japan’s wristwatch specialty stores have unique routes to acquire the watches for sale which reduces the overall price.
• Japan is actively engaged in promoting tourism; as a result, they have numerous duty-free shops spread throughout their cities including the wristwatch specialty stores. These shops sell items without the 8% consumption tax. 
• In addition to the cost reduction, you won’t have to worry about a fake watch at a registered watch store in Japan.

Now, this information is relatively hard to utilize without a few stores’ suggestions. Look out for these stores in your next Japan trip to get your hands on a genuine wristwatch at a reduced price:

• Shinjuku Area: GMT
• Ginza Area: Ginza NJ Time
• Shibuya Area: Houseki Hiroba
• Ueno Area: Takeya

Casio, an inexpensive yet one of the toughest watches in the industry, is a must-have for all watch enthusiasts. It offers a variety of designs with high-tech features such as Multiband 6 Radio Technology, Solar System, shock resistance and much more. Casio is a regular presence in the wardrobes of high-profile people such as Bill Gates and the Pope, which enunciates its quality in watchmaking. Its watches, no doubt, are a steal at their price.

Additional Questions:

What Makes Casio Watches so Durable?

Casio is a renowned brand for its quality, design and price. It credits the Large Scale Integration (LSI) technology and skilled craftmanship for its durability. For them, “faith in manufacturing” means continuous advancements in technology and craftsmen’s skills.

Which is the Most Expensive Casio Watch?

The most expensive Casio watch is G-D5000-9JR, which belongs to the G-Shock line. This complete 18-karat yellow gold watch is worth ¥7,700,000 JPY (~$71352.43 as of 7/14/19). It is a limited-edition watch, which was released on the 35^th anniversary of the G-Shock series. Casio will only put 35 pieces of this extravagant watch for sale.

How Can I Identify a Fake Casio Watch?

The following 5 steps will help you in identifying whether your Casio watch is fake or real:

1. Check your watch’s face for the brand name “Casio”. Most of the replicas exclude the brand name and only put the line name, such as G-shock, on the watch.
2. Original watches have the same model number on the case back and the user guide.
3. Check warranty card for any logos, number or name errors.
4. Check the model number at the back of the watch. If it’s absent, then this indicates that your watch is a dupe.
5. Finally, if you have a limited-edition watch, then check the serial number. Every limited-edition model has a unique serial number on its case back.