Casio

About Casio

Casio started as an electronics workshop and came to watches through calculators, launching the Casiotron in 1974. In 1983 engineer Kikuo Ibe delivered the G-Shock — a movement suspended inside a hollow core so it survived a drop from a third-floor window. Casio's genius is treating a watch as a cheap, rugged computer rather than a piece of jewellery.

Signature models

The references that define the house — and the ones you are most likely to meet.

• G-Shock DW-5600
• F-91W
• A168 'Royale'
• Pro Trek
• Edifice
• Oceanus

What to look for

Details worth checking before you trust a dial. None of them certify authenticity on their own.

• A module number printed on the caseback (e.g. 3229) — it identifies the exact watch better than the model name
• Crisp, evenly-spaced LCD segments; fakes often have a dull or slightly skewed display
• 'CASIO' moulded into the resin, not stuck on as a sticker or badge
• Buttons with a defined click — mushy pushers are a bad sign on a G-Shock

Facts

• The G-Shock's design brief was 'triple 10': 10-year battery, 10-bar water resistance, and survival from 10 metres.
• The F-91W has been in continuous production since 1989 and sells millions of units a year.