Casio watchmaker relaunches tough timepiece for hard times
Tough times call for a tough watch. That seems to be the credo of Kikuo Ibe, the creator of Casio's G-Shock timepieces.
The Japanese watchmaker was in town on Friday for a bash at Club Cliq, featuring actor and DJ Sam Lee Chan-sum spinning the tunes, as part of a global relaunch of the label. The watches have always been known for their durability - reportedly even the US Delta Force wears them on missions - and Ibe doesn't intend to go soft now. 'I didn't make G-Shock for the sake of fashion or trend,' Ibe (right) said.
'I want to make a timepiece that's tough and practical. But I'm still glad some pop icons appreciate them. I have this urge to incorporate more high technologies into my watches. Hong Kong, for instance, is a vivid and energetic city that gives me endless energy to create new things.'
Speaking of pop icons, most of the guests were still buzzing about the death of Michael Jackson, and that included Ibe.
'He was extraordinarily talented,' he said. 'I regret his death. But now that he's gone, the best thing we can do is to work harder to catch up with him.'
