Casio
At this point in our Tokyo tour Moriai-san left us to return to Casio
HQ. But he left us with a profound appreciation for the creativity and effort that go into making the “strongest watches in the world.” First and
foremost, a G-Shock is a near-indestructible timepiece designed to be
a stalwart companion under the most trying of physical conditions. But
it can also be a perfect complement to one’s style or mood; neither
quality negates the other, and therein lies its genius. On the one hand,
it’s a commodity prized for its durability while on the other hand it’s a
design totem collected and revered by a zealous community of fans.
Coming up in the next issue of About Time, we’ll take an in-depth
look at Casio’s Hamura Research and Development facility and the
famed Yamagata production factory, where G-Shocks are tested and
produced. While our tour of these manufacturing facilities was illuminating, in many ways this tour of Tokyo with an unassuming, bespectacled
Ryusuke Moriai was perhaps the most insightful and surprising aspect
of this legendary brand.
Adam Craniotes is the co-founder of RedBar and collects GShocks at his home in New York City.
82 | AboutTime Magazine