Shakira has surprised us all with what can now be considered one of the biggest beefs in music history (not even Tupac against Notorious Big sparked this much excitement). In the latest BZRP Music Session, which appeared almost out of nowhere with Shakira as the star, the Colombian singer let loose at length against Gerard Piqué, the former FC Barcelona footballer with whom she has two children.
But, among the enormous multitude of quips that she released, Shakira left some bars that have not fully convinced watch lovers: “You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo, you traded a Rolex for a Casio”. And it is that, even though the difference between brands is evident and his excuse is that Piqué is an ultra-fan of owning expensive watches, the Casio brand cannot, by far, be considered “the Twingo” of the chronographs.
And if not, ask Twitter:
Although, without a doubt, who has taken better advantage of this unexpected publicity? It is the Casio brand itself and its fans, who have come up with a series of tweets in which they have revalued their brand, as Vegeta would say, Over Nine Thousand:
In short, it has become clear that the best way to interpret this apparently innocent phrase is with humor. Nevertheless, they are not without reason. Casio watches have a history of over sixty years and a weight in pop culture that Rolex would be envious of.
The Casio Story: The Watch of the Future
Although portable watches began to appear in Europe in the 17th century, for centuries they remained a rare bird that belonged mainly to the wealthy population. Being a watchmaker was a highly respected profession, and they came to be on a par with tailors to nobles.
However, wristwatches (and especially pocket watches) began to appear in the 19th century, at which time they began to be mass-produced thanks to a much cheaper and more resistant material. In this way, they reached the 20th century as a common utensil for any type of citizen.
Casio’s history, however, has much more to do with calculators than watches, a business they would later open up to. It was in 1946 when, in a Japan touched by the Second World War, Tadao Kashio (pan maker up to that time) decided to found a small calculator factory that would adopt his name.
The calculator business did really well for them, and it was in 1957 that the company made a leap and began manufacturing digital watches with innovative liquid crystal technology, which allowed for much clearer and more accurate time display. It was here that they began the adventure of watches, but they still had a long time to become popular.
In 1974, Casio launched the Casiotron wristwatch, which was the first auto-date wristwatch with an LED display. This marked a milestone in the history of watches, as previously watches could only display the time, and the date had to be set manually. It was a technological leap that made them at the forefront of the market (well above Rolex, no matter how posh they were).
In 1983, Casio continued to grow and launched the G-Shock watch, which has become an icon in the watch industry. The G-Shock is known for its strength and durability, as it has a shock-resistant and waterproof case. It was a great milestone at the time and became, ipso facto, an icon of pop culture of the nineties.
Over the years, Casio has continued to innovate watch technology, releasing models with add-ons like GPS, fitness trackers, and touch screens. Currently, the company continues to be a leader in the industry, offering very affordable prices for everyone, but with more and more innovative features, always related to technology.
In addition, Casio has a great song (and we are not referring to Shakira’s):
