The Weightlessness of Casio Watches
Their the only kind of watch that you can wear at any occasion.
Most kids’ first watches are Casio watches - namely the famed F91-W, a tiny digital timepiece unveiled in 1989 as a successor to the less popular F89-W. The sub-$20 watch, which is the best-selling digital watch of all time features time and date, a stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second, an alarm, and a timer. It is the gateway watch for many children who grow up to become gigantic watch nerds. I don’t share that same experience. I came to Casio watches a bit later in my watch-collecting journey as my first piece gifted by my parents was a Swiss Wenger chronograph. The original brown leather strap is long gone and it rests on a beautiful green alligator leather band that I purchased online. That being said, I arrived at Casio much later than most watch guys, but I cannot picture my watch-collecting journey without them.
Unless I missed any, my current Casio collection - inclusive of G-Shock - is sitting at 17 pieces. 11 of them are G-Shocks. I have a problem and I’m man enough to admit it. I did sell two of my Casios last week and I’m looking to offload a couple more because I’d like to tighten up and only own watches that I will frequently wear.
I may have a few watches that cost a bit more than Casios, but I’ve been wearing my little Casio watches more and more these days for a number of reasons.
The Unpretentiousness of it All
We’re kind of in a recession..at least it feels like it. My grocery bill is off the charts to a point where it’s uncomfortable, I have several friends looking for work, and it’s an election year. In times like these, it may be best to simplify your look and not rub the designer items into everyone’s faces as much. I’m a believer in reading the room, especially during trying times. The least pretentious watch you can wear is a little Casio watch. They are true everyman timepieces. I own a $100 square G-Shock that synchs with a satellite every night, so the time is 100% accurate at all times. It also comes with the time in every timezone, five alarms, a stopwatch and a timer, all while looking completely unassuming. Your Patek can’t do that!
When I wear a Tudor or a Rolex, there’s a certain cache that comes with it, but there’s also a feeling of added weight and I can’t fully relax if I have it on in public. I could also at times feel a bit guilty wearing a Rolex in a space where no one else is because I fear it makes me look pretentious. Even though my Rolex is from 1979 and the bracelet jingles like Christmas music, Rolexes are still Rolexes and I do feel like I could attract some negative attention when I wear it. I wore a Tudor to a party not too long ago and felt like an asshole when many people at the party weren’t wearing a watch at all. Casio’s carry no weight with them. They’re tools. They’re fashionable. They’re affordable, so even if one breaks, who cares, grab another one for $20-40 bucks.
No One is Going to Want To Take it From You
I don’t love talking about it, but I’ve stared down the barrel of a glock while handing over a $4,500 watch before. It’s the single most traumatizing thing that’s ever happened to me and it changed the way that I approach watches and watch collecting. If I know I’ll be walking around, I usually wear a Casio watch. G-Shocks and Casios are very recognizable - some would say just as indentifiable as a Rolex - which is good because watch theft is on the rise in most metropolitan areas in the US (and even many places in Europe) and people will look at your wrist and be uninterested in taking a sub-$100 resin watch off your wrist.
When I say that Casios are weightless, I mean that I have a feeling of levity when I wear a Casio. They feel unserious, understated, unassuming. No one will make an assumption of me when they stare down at my wrist and see a little Casio on it. I feel like I can go anywhere and do anything with one on my wrist without the worry that something is going to happen to it. I feel light. As I said earlier, there’s too much weight that comes with wearing a luxury watch, so I prefer not to wear them all the time. If I’m wearing a luxury watch in public, I never feel like I’m really at peace. I can throw on a Casio watch and leave the house and not think about it again for the rest of the day.
They’re Cheap and Colorful - Perfect for Collecting
Watch collecting should be all about variety. Whether or you are collecting every color of square G-Shock or you’re looking to collect a piece from every major casio product line, you can really dive into watch collecting with Casio because it’s damn near impossible to break the bank on these underpriced gems. Casio has a knack for releasing the same watch in a dozen colors so you’ll never run out of new pieces to pick up. G-Shock also does a handful of collabs each year. My favorites are the brown Undefeated edition from last year, the thisisneverthat 6900 from a couple months ago and the Hodinkee x John Mayer G-Shock in light blue (pictured above). You’ll never run out of old watches to track down, and new pieces are always being released.
G-Shock’s are Tough as Hell
Have you ever worn a G-Shock? They’re some of the toughest watches in the world. Have you seen the video of someone tossing a G-Shock out of a helicopter? What about the one of someone driving their car over one? They’re indestrictable.
They Give You an Aura of Effortless Chic
All of the coolest celebrities can be seen wearing Casio watches. From President Obama to Pete Davidson to Kristen Stewart to Tyler the Creator. They’ve all sported casual. Casio timepieces in their day. Once you expand to Casio field to G-Shocks, then look at Central C, seen here sporting his Kith x G-Shock DW6900. G-Shocks certainly had their moment in the spotlight in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but most of the watches are truly timeless. The smaller, metal versions of classic Casio styles will go with anything. They look great with shorts and t-shirts or with a Tuxedo like Barry Keoghan’s character in Saltburn. When people wear Casio watches they give off the feeling of nonchalance, like you had that little old thing just lying around and wanted to throw it on so you had something that helped tell the time. No frets. They’re accurate, so might as well throw that on vs a more expensive watch. Isn’t the ultimate goal of style to look effortless after all?
Peace and Love