Thirty years after launching G-Shock, Casio‘s sales are on a major upswing in Australia with a 45 percent increase in sales of its G-Shock, Baby G and Edifice watches in the last 12 months.
Tim Hargreaves, the general manager of local Casio distributor Shriro Australia, said the increase in sales from 2011 to 2012 could largely be attributed to G-Shock and Edifice’s new standing as fashion brands.
“For 30 years Casio G-Shock watches have been the ultimate tough watch providing durable, waterproof watches for every activity,” he said.
“But the G-Shock is no longer being viewed as simply a quality timepiece brand – G-Shock is now a fashion brand.
“With celebrity brand ambassadors all over the world, G-Shock has grown by teaming up with the right people and continuing to release products that are not only fashionable but also as tough as nails.”
Similarly, Edifice has teamed up with the world champion F1 Infiniti Red Bull racing team and thus aligned itself “with a younger consumer looking for style, fashion and technology”.
To continue Casio’s growth momentum this year, Shriro will launch the G-Shock Bluetooth range this month and the ‘G-Shock: Premium’ brand later this year.
The G-Shock: Premium, which includes higher-end models in the G-Shock range such as the Gravity Defier, has already enjoyed “a lot of success in the UK and the US”.
“In the US, Govberg, Hamilton, Tapper’s and Lux Bond & Green are all high-end jewellers that have taken on the G-Shock: Premium range and have had a lot of success in doing so,” said Hargreaves.
Shriro will also celebrate G-Shock’s 30th anniversary with two major events – one in Melbourne (April) and Sydney (most likely in September).
“G-Shock has teamed up with an iconic Australian Hip Hop band (name yet to be released) which will perform at both events and collaborate with G-Shock to make a watch that will be exclusively available in Australia,” said Hargreaves.