So apparently Shakira went through a nasty breakup with her ex Gerard Piqué, and I really couldn't care less about the whole thing. However, burning up the internet is a story about a song she wrote pertaining to the ordeal, that has since blazed to number one on the charts.
What grabbed my interest as a lifelong CASIO fan, was a lyric she sung that states: "You swapped a Rolex for a CASIO". It's apparently a dig towards her ex, because to Shakira, swapping a Rolex for a CASIO is a stupid thing to do. When I first heard about this on the radio, I laughed my head off as I would take a nice CASIO over a Rolex any day.
That being said, I can't see myself buying a Rolex. I'm not saying I wouldn't mind having one in my collection, but I would never buy one. Not because it's unattainable, but for many combined reasons. Here are a few of them..
CASIO vs. Rolex
Price
The big one! It's a factor that many people use as an indicator of quality. I saw a Rolex in a store not too long ago with a price tag of around $13,000. The most expensive CASIO I own was around $150.00 new. But obviously the Rolex has to be a better watch right? Let's dive deeper..
Timekeeping Accuracy
For me, CASIO wins all day long. A quartz watch will always outperform a mechanical watch in this regard. I haven't adjusted the time on my 'CASIO Tough Solar' in eleven years. It syncs daily to the atomic clock via radio waves.
Functionality
CASIO comes out ahead on this one as well. Some of my cheapest CASIOs have way more functions than a Rolex. One of them sports a step counter, and another has a low and high tide graph. A CASIO on my 'to buy' list, features a graph that tells you the best time to go fishing by calculating moon phases.
Durability and Ruggedness
Smack a Rolex with a sledge hammer or drive over it and see what happens. Both of these things happened to one of my G-SHOCKs with no ill effects. I swear these watches are practically indestructible. Also, I've always wondered how many people go diving with a Rolex diving watch. On the flip side, I for sure would do some diving with my CASIO Duro.
Style and Design
Is the Rolex a better looking watch? Honestly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Rolex can be a sight to behold for sure, and I can truly appreciate it for that. However, a Rolex doesn't move me personally like a CASIO calculator watch from my youth, or a classic and iconic F91W. Yes, geeky retro tech truly gets my blood pumping.
Value
Of course the Rolex is a beautiful engineered piece of machinery. It will last for decades, hold its value and can even appreciate if taken care of. However, they are still mass produced which is one of the reasons I've always believed them to be overpriced.
I use my watches, and even if I were to destroy one during the course of work or play, I could replace it fifty times over and never come close to the price of a Rolex. I do own some great non CASIO pieces, but they are brands that deliver elegance at an affordable price.
So is CASIO a better watch? For me they are. I have a connection to the brand that goes back to the 1980s. The watches move me and spark up nostalgia. As a pop culture geek, I can list several movies off the top of my head where the main characters wore CASIOs. I know there has to be movies where the main characters rocked a Rolex, but I can't think of a single one at the moment.
Movies with CASIO cameos..
Back to the Future
People ran to the stores (myself included) to buy CASIO calculator watches after seeing one on the wrist of Michael J. Fox's character Marty McFly. You can still buy them to this day for around $20 here on Amazon
ALIEN
Sigourney Weavers character of 'Ripley' wore a CASIO F-100 in the movie. There has been a recent re-release of this incredible watch and I've seen them here on Amazon at the $60 to $70 price range.
Mission Impossible 2
Tom Cruise wore a CASIO DW-290 in this film. An incredibly tough watch that you can still find here on Amazon for around $40.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
One of my favorite scenes in this movie was when John Candy was trying to sweeten the deal of trying to score a hotel room, by offering up $2.00 and his CASIO A159-WA. You can still buy this model here at Amazon, that looks nearly identical to the one he wore in the film.
SPEED
Keanu Reeves sported the classic G-SHOCK DW-5600 in this movie, and the watch got a heck of a lot of screen time from what I remember. You can still buy this watch, largely unchanged since the 90s for around $50 here on Amazon.
I don't think owning a CASIO is a shameful or embarrassing, or that I'm (less than) since I prefer them to snazzier watches with lots of flash. I'll tell you this.. if I see someone wearing a nice G-SHOCK or a retro looking CASIO, I will engage them in conversation before anyone wearing a Rolex.
I can't be the only CASIO fan that had to laugh at this Shakira lyric. Maybe Shakira should look at it this way.. maybe Piqué traded to a CASIO because he wanted something more modest and reliable, requiring much less maintenance. Ouch.