?My last wish and dream is that in 100 years anyone can travel around the universe and live in space and both humans and aliens are wearing G-Shock and the aliens are saying, ?G-Shock is wonderful,?? says Kikuo Ibe, founder of the Casio G-Shock a few hours before the brand?s big 35th anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Kikuo Ibe, founder of the Casio G-Shock. (Credit: Ryan Muir.)
Mr. Ibe ? if you couldn?t tell ? is an eccentric man who is a far cry from your typical watch executive. This may explain the G-Shock’s rabid fanbase among people who wouldn’t normally wear a watch. It’s likely the most popular watch in the world and this year it became the first timepiece to hit 100 million sold. 
In those 35 years the brand has changed in a manner of ways but its core mission of creating a durable watch has never shifted. In fact, Casio?s acceptance into the streetwear community is a rare example of the fashion industry accepting an outsider without that brand trying to appeal to them at all. ?Our stance hasn?t changed,? says Ibe. ?We?ve always prized functionality and our style hasn?t changed much either. Somehow, we are becoming more popular within a certain group of street-fashion influencers and that?s really helping the brand perception.?
Casio has definitely embraced this new demographic. Along with sponsoring skateboarders, snowboarders, and pretty much every other sort of extreme sport athlete, the brand partnered with legendar...