PHILIPPINES – Casio is on a roll this year with consecutive releases of multiple G-SHOCK series. To continue the 40th anniversary celebration of the G-SHOCK brand, Casio launched the premium MR-G series in the Philippines with a special event attended by the “Father of G-SHOCK” himself, Mr. Kikuo Ibe.
Mr. Ibe kicked off his visit to the Philippines with a trip to the luxury watch store L’Atelier By Lucerne to admire the G-SHOCK watches on display. He was given a warm welcome by the representatives of Lucerne and CSC Time who helped bring the MR-G series to the country through a partnership with Casio. Ibe then proceeded to Shangri-La The Fort, Manila for the official launch.
CSC Time Inc.’s General Manager, Mr. Tony Yiu, gave the opening remarks, noting that the G-SHOCK MR-G series represents the pinnacle of watch engineering. He emphasized that the MR-G series serves as a symbol of style and sophistication as the models are the product of the fusion of traditional Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.
The Father of G-SHOCK himself then took the stage and looked back at the origin of the G-SHOCK brand. He recalled how 42 years ago, he dropped a precious watch given by his father while on his way to work. The watch broke into pieces, and this became the driving force for him to create a strong and durable watch. Ibe envisioned a tough watch that would be big and rugged. He created a couple of watches and tested its toughness and durability, but failed a number of times. But he refused to give up, armed with a strong belief in his vision. Finally, in 1983, the first G-SHOCK model was successfully launched in the USA with advertisements showing a dump truck running over a G-SHOCK watch and an ice hockey player hitting a G-SHOCK watch with his stick to prove its toughness.
“Honestly, what I’ve learned about G-SHOCK development was to never give up and never give in to circumstances. It’s always been my guiding principle,” Ibe said.
Today, the G-SHOCK brand is known globally for being unbreakable and reliable. Its legacy continues with the MR-G series, with Ms. Saki Nagaoka from Casio Japan testing the toughness using a hammer. The MR-G watch was hit a number of times but it remained in one piece, with no cracks.
MR-G was introduced as the best and premium line-up of G-SHOCK, with Casio investing a lot of resources and time in it. MR-G watches have a full-metal exterior with titanium that also displays the beauty of Japanese craftsmanship.
MRG-BF1000E, the special and limited MR-G Frogman, was also introduced in the event. It has the functionality of a diver’s watch, such as the ISO 200-meter water resistance, but with a premium titanium exterior. It is constructed from more than 70 parts, cut and polished to provide a more sophisticated sheen. Using the CASIO App and Bluetooth function, divers can also set up to view and monitor data on tides in more than 3,000 places. What makes it more special is the fact that there are only 700 of them made in the whole world. The model will be released in the Philippines in August.
Mr. Ibe expressed his gratitude to Filipinos who love G-SHOCK, saying, “Please continue your support and help us in making G-SHOCK & MR-G “The strongest Brand” in the Philippines. I am truly grateful for all of you being here and joining us as we celebrate the success of G-SHOCK.”
The new watches, which cost from PHP 170,000 to PHP 500,000, will be available exclusively in L’Atelier by Lucerne, located at the G/F of Shangri-la, The Fort, this June.