Shock value

KIKUO Ibe, inventor of the iconic Casio range of G-Shock timpieces, looks amused when told his biggest fan in Singapore has about 600 different models and variations of the digital watch in his collection.

He has every reason to because there's really no need to own more than one.

The groundbreaking watch he created 30 years ago is virtually indestructible - it's water-resistant; can resist drops, vibrations and G-forces; and depending on use, has been known to run for as long as 10 years without a battery change. The "G" in its name refers to "gravity" which Mr Ibe wanted to counter when he was creating the break-proof watch. Its design consists of several layers of bumpers which protect the timepiece from damage even when used in the most extreme of conditions.