J Balvin has spent a decade making gold look like a personality trait. Now it comes in a size small enough to wear on a pinky. Casio announced this month the CRW-001JB-9, a limited ring watch designed with the Colombian artist, and it is on sale in Colombia through G-Shock stores and Casio’s online shop.
Balvin arrives with credentials that reach well beyond fashion. Billboard reported that his Feid collaboration “Doblexxó” gave him a record 37th No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart, the most since the list began in 1994. The watch itself is not brand new territory either. G-Central reported that the CRW-001JB-9 is the third CRW-001 model, following silver and gold editions. T3 reported that pre-orders opened in the United States on May 28 at $200, so the Colombian launch follows a global release earlier this year.
J Balvin Turns the CRW-001 Into a Gold Brick Statement
The design leans loud on purpose. According to Casio’s release, the case is finished in metallic gold with a brick texture, and rhinestones run along the upper and lower bezel. Balvin’s signature flower is engraved on the case back, so the most personal detail faces his own skin.
Underneath, it is still a Casio digital watch. The company says its engineers miniaturized a high-precision display, an LED light and a stopwatch module into a gold-plated stainless steel body made to be worn as a ring. Casio’s own product page lists dual time, a 1/100 second stopwatch, an auto calendar and a 12/24 hour format, along with splash protection.
Each unit ships in packaging designed for this edition, which Casio describes as limited. The company has not published a production number.
Thiago Nadotti, Assistant Marketing Manager for Casio Latin America, framed the pairing as a cultural bet. “Colaborar con J Balvin no es solo unirnos a una de las figuras más influyentes de la música y la moda contemporánea a nivel global; es entender hacia dónde se mueve la cultura y conectar de manera auténtica con las nuevas generaciones que buscan en los accesorios una extensión de su propia identidad”, Nadotti said. In short, he described younger buyers as people who treat accessories as part of who they are.
Casio Wants Latin America Closer to J Balvin’s Audience
The commercial goal is stated plainly in the release. Casio says it wants a larger share of the Latin American market through urban music culture, and it wants ring watches to be seen as a fashion category rather than a novelty. The company described the collaboration as a strategic step in its international expansion.
In Colombia, the CRW-001JB-9 is sold at the G-Shock Store in Mallplaza, at G-Shock kiosks in Gran Estación and Titán Plaza, and on the online store run by Casio’s retail partner Timesquare.
The release also leans on a market signal. It cites the resale platform Whatnot as reporting that sales of traditional ring watches rose 1,000% in six months. Casio did not provide the underlying data, and the claim comes from the company’s own materials.
Whether ring watches hold their appeal will show up in sell-through and resale prices, not in announcements. For Balvin, the project adds another object to a catalog of brand partnerships that treat his taste as a product. For Casio, it tests whether a pinky-sized gimmick can become a repeat category. The next colorway, and who designs it, will say more than this launch does.
