The history of Casio watches

Build quality & user experience today

• One commenter claims Casio’s QA and customer service have declined; others strongly dispute this, saying recent purchases are as solid as ever and still superior to most clones.
• Several people criticize Casio’s software and UI on modern connected watches (e.g., requiring many button presses to read a notification, noisy heart‑rate readings, mandatory phone apps for setup).

Innovation and feature history

• Many see 1980s–90s Casios (especially Data Bank models) as proto‑PDAs and precursors to modern smartwatches, with features like contact storage, calculators, remote controls, phone dialers, temperature sensors, and even early gesture recognition (AT‑550).
• Users highlight unusual historical features: FM voice transmitters, IR TV/VCR remotes, tone dialers, optical blood‑pressure monitoring (BP‑100), and “game” watches that aren’t even mentioned in Casio’s official timeline.

Iconic models & nostalgia

• G‑Shock solar/atomic models (GW‑6900, 5600 variants, ProTrek) are praised for extreme durability and multi‑decade reliability; straps are often cited as the weak point.
• The F‑91W inspires affection as a cheap, indestructible “cultural icon,” including jokes about its poor backlight and references to its association with terrorism that Casio understandably omits.
• Multiple commenters reminisce about childhood Casios (calculator, jogging, running, and “game” watches) and the sense of futurism they conveyed.

Smartwatches, platforms, and longevity

• Some lament Casio’s Wear OS experiment and smartphone‑tethered models, contrasting them with Garmin/Suunto/Polar devices that run proprietary OSes and can function largely offline.
• Desired ideal: a tough, “normal” watch with heart‑rate and basic GPS, fully usable offline, no mandatory updates, and long support life. Concerns are raised about abandonware and banned radios in regulated environments.

NFTs, metaverse, and brand direction

• The 2023 entry about NFT/metaverse “virtual G‑SHOCK” is widely ridiculed as embarrassing, dated, or evidence that hardware companies don’t understand software.
• A minority argues such speculative projects can be harmless R&D or a plausible way to build ownership registries, but sentiment is mostly negative.

Design, pricing, and ecosystem

• Opinions split on post‑90s styling: some see it as cluttered and gaudy versus the earlier sleek designs; others still love G‑Shocks and cheap digitals.
• There’s debate over G‑Shock’s move upmarket; some see it as a loss of affordability, others note Casio still sells very cheap models while also offering luxury MR‑G pieces.
• Enthusiasts point to hacker projects like Sensor Watch, Goodwatch, and Gadgetbridge as extending or replacing Casio internals while preserving classic cases.