You know you are getting old when something you still have goes “retro”. Worse still when your kids come home with you thinking they just found something really cool and new.
Tea Casio digital watch It was in fashion when I was young. More than that, it was cutting edge technology and a kind of space age. When Christmas and birthdays rolled around in the 1970s, we all wanted a Casio personal calculator (the size of a paperback book) or a little later, best. A quasi-thronic keyboard.
I remember being really jealous of my uncle, who wore the first digital watch I saw in the 70s, complete with a calendar display. Now I know it must have been a Casiotron, which was the first digital watch ever made.
When digital watches from the early 80s were more affordable and attractive, I really wanted one. When I turned 21 it was very disappointing to end up with a traditional gold Bulova ladies bracelet.
The trend for electronic dial digital display watches has come and gone in my life, but for some reason I never threw away the one I finally bought myself. TO Casio Digital Watch With a large square face and multiple day, date and time display, which has been relegated to the back of my old jewelry box for about 20 years.
When my son came up with one that looked almost exactly the same and showed it off proudly, I was in awe. Apparently the Casio Digital Watch is sought after and has street cred. Of course, not wanting to sound like I wasn’t a trend watcher, I took out mine and said I’d kept it to leave him in my will. He immediately took it for his girlfriend, duh!
Joking aside, they say that everything old is new again and that older Casio digital watches are collectibles and that most Casios before 1990 are considered antique watches (I guess that makes me an antique) . Casio made innovative, cheap and interesting products that pushed the limits. The market for these other (sometimes crazy) devices, like the cigarette lighter calculator, is in its infancy, so they are still relatively easy to find.
The disposable nature of many Casio products has created a lucrative market, as despite the fact that tens of thousands of Casio digital watches and other digital products were sold, few remain. Which is great news for budding collectors!
Casio was a hotbed of technological innovations, and if you can find some of these older and rarer concept items in working order, you may have the start of a lucrative collection. Older Casio products were made in Japan and are highly desirable. Each watch had a model and module number and the place of manufacture can be found by tracking these. Collecting at Casio is still a relatively new hobby, so head to the trunk sales and hop in while you still have the chance. How many times have you wished you had the foresight to start collecting something while still being easily in the mess sales? This is your chance. Do some homework and check out some of the forums, like the digital watch forum, for more information.
If you are interested in starting a collection, take a look at the Casio G Shock or G Force models. Particularly the limited edition models.
Casio’s market share plummeted for a time as digital watches lost popularity. They returned to the market with a vengeance in the mid-1990s when they took on Timex in the sports watch market with the updated and more exclusive Masters Casio G Force and G Shock models.
The solar-powered G Force had been around since 1985 when its relatively expensive titanium back with a high-strength soft shell designed for divers was dubbed the Frogman. The innovative design that was resistant to mud came to be known as Mudman. The word “man” in the title of the G Force models has been used for 20 years.
G Force through the years:
* Antman, current –
* Fisherman, current –
* Frogman, current (2008) GW-225E.
* Sailor, current
* Gaussman, current –
* Gulfman, current (2007) G-9100, GW-9100 and GW-9125C.
* Lungman, current –
* Mudman, current (2007) G-9000, GW-9000 and GW-9025C.
* Riseman, current (2008) GW-9200.
* Wademan, current –
All Casio Digital Watch Master of G models (above) use a steel case covered by a thick neoprene or polyurethane bezel. All of them, apart from the original 1985 “Frogmen”, feature Casio’s illuminated display for in-depth reading. All models are water resistant to 200 meters and make an excellent diver’s watch.
G force Casio digital watch The models have become a watch of choice for divers and sailors and have recently hit the street market with a new and original ad campaign targeting teens and early 1920s. Casio redesigned the line for surfers, skaters and break dancers that really push the indestructibility of the watch.
The new designs added bright colors and male velcro bands to give them an urban appeal. The new ad campaigns used hip hop stars to promote the brand. Prices increased and so did sales. What comes is given and all of a sudden kids want a Casio digital watch for their birthday or Christmas again. Go figure.
