50 years of Casio Montres: a Japanese success story…

Although it caused a minor revolution in the watchmaking world in the early 1970s, the arrival of the Casiotron was not the result of chance, but rather the logical outcome of many years of research and development by a brand that had given itself the means to innovate, reinforced by the expertise of an astonishing sibling group: the Kashio brothers.

Kashio, four brothers for Casio

A graduate of the Waseda School of Workers – now Waseda University – Tadao Kashio decided to set up his own business, drawing on his experience and expertise in new technologies. In 1946, Kashio Seisakujo was founded, producing components for microscopes and gearboxes. Boosted by the economic situation after the Second World War, the company expanded and welcomed Toshio, one of the Kashio brothers. The story goes that the company was at a turning point when Tadao, an inveterate inventor, unveiled the ‘Pipe Yubiwa’ cigarette ring. The dazzling sales enabled the company to invest in a prototype calculator in 1954. A calculator, called the 14-A, which appeared for the first time in the world, electric and powered by electromagnets within the new company called Kashio Keisanki or Casio Computer Co. Ltd, strengthened by the presence of Tadao’s two remaining brothers. With the team complete, Casio’s dazzling rise was only just beginning.

A SNEAK PREVIEW!

1980: first calculator watch
1981: first running watch with pace indicator
1982: first watch with English-Japanese dictionary / first wristwatch with thermometer / first analogue/digital watch with 3 hands
1983: first touch-screen watch / first solar-powered watch
1987: first cardio watch / first FM radio watch
1989: first watch capable of detecting changes in weather conditions / first watch capable of predicting 300 years of position of the nine planets in the solar system
1992: first watch with optical blood pressure monitor / first watch with altitude, barometer and temperature sensor
1993: first watch with TV remote control and video recorder
1994: first watch to measure altitude, barometric pressure, direction and temperature
1998: first watch with vibrating alerts for mobile phone calls
1999: first watch with audio recording function / first watch with integrated GPS
2000: first watch with MP3 player / first watch with digital camera
2012: first watch with Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity
2018: first solar-powered GPS navigation watch

Casiotron, UF(C)O: Unidentified flying (connected) object

Now present in three sectors, including calculators and numeric keyboards, Casio’s ambition is to continue to offer products with high added value that are useful and accessible to as many people as possible. But what really interests us is its history of watchmaking. And the Casiotron is one of the most striking illustrations of this.

Reference QW02, the 1974 Casiotron was the first digital watch with an automatic calendar function. It indicates the month, the date – apart from 29 February in leap years – and the day of the week. A real innovation at the time, this timepiece required no monthly manual adjustment. It was a double innovation, because Casio succeeded in offering a digital watch as a luxury item. In fact, a university graduate in Japan would need to earn almost a month’s salary to buy the timepiece, priced at 58,000 yen.

Today, the TRN-50 anniversary edition, limited to 400 pieces, boasts the same historic design, with a steel case, dark blue dial and highly legible display. However, it benefits from the brand’s latest technological advances. Multifunctional, the electronic movement is recharged using solar energy and the ‘Tough Solar’ system. The Mobile Link function enables the watch to be connected to a smartphone to guarantee precise timekeeping and updates for different time zones. The TRN-50 is available in different versions: a model with a gold bezel, a steel bracelet adorned with black ionic plating and a gold link engraved ‘50th ANNIVERSARY’, and a steel version with a gold bezel and dark blue dial.

See the technical details of the Casiotron TRN-50.

The year 2000, Casio’s Odyssey

At the dawn of the 21st century, Casio, a true trailblazer, unveiled two world firsts. The 2000 WMP-1 is the first wristwatch equipped with an MP3 player.

This portable audio player lets you listen to your favourite tunes on the move. Thanks to the USB function, the music can be transferred from a computer to the watch, which, equipped with a 32 MB multimedia card, can store up to an hour’s worth of songs. A final amusing detail visible to owners of the model: on the digital dial, a character moves to the rhythm of the melody being played.

After sound comes images, with the arrival of the first wristwatch to feature a digital camera. Called the Wrist Camera – 2000 WQV-1, the watch was equipped with a lens, a CMOS sensor and an LCD screen for displaying black and white images. Combined with digital zoom, the colour version arrived in 2001 with the WQV-10.

Casio also means iconic models

And new ideas for Christmas presents

ABL-100WE, the vintage look for sure

Reminiscent of the design of the 1995 A168 model, this year’s iterations are distinguished by the multi-mesh metal bracelet that ensures comfort on the wrist.

Retro style, but cutting-edge technology. With its built-in accelerometer sensor, the watch detects body movements and counts the number of steps taken, shown directly on the LCD screen. Thanks to Bluetooth®, time correction and other additional functions can be easily carried out via a smartphone. This new collection comes in four models in chrome or gold metal, with a negative LSD screen.

From 79,90 euros

See the technical details of the ABL-100WE collection.

AQ-230, coloured dials

An explosion of colour with the many dial animations displayed on the AQ-230 range. Flashy or pastel, there’s something for everyone.

In keeping with the spirit of the 1980s, these timepieces feature an octagonal case whose geometry makes the time easy to read. The time can also be read off the hands (analogue) and on a second dial (digital) at 6 o’clock. They also feature a second time zone, a chronometer to 1/100th of a second, and an automatic calendar with date and day of the week. The metal bracelet is easy to adjust for quick and intuitive sizing.

From €49,90

See technical details of the AQ-230 line.

New PAC-MAN collection

Four watches to celebrate two anniversaries: 50 years of Casio watches and 45 years of the world-famous video game Pac-Man. A real madeleine de Proust for all millennials. The different versions are inspired by the design of a games console, like the CA-53WPC, which, with its yellow bezel, is reminiscent of an arcade machine.

Please note that the products are not yet online on the .fr website. Stay tuned to make sure you don’t miss the launch, as there won’t be enough for everyone !!!!

CASIO WATCHES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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