Customer Reviews

Casio Men's MDV102-1AV Sea Analog Illuminator Dual LED Dive Watch

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(83)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

This is a great looking sports watch, and the light is really bright - it's a white LED both at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, so it allows for nice visibility in low light. The stainless steel case is nicely polished and looks very sharp. This watch really looks more expensive than it is, and I've had people ask about it when wearing it. It's an eye catching watch.

The MDV102-1AV is 200m water resistant, which means it can handle you going swimming, snorkeling, even some diving without much problem. This watch has a screw-down crown too, which makes it even more water resistant. The only thing to watch out for is washing the dishes, hot tubbing, or showering with it - warm/hot water isn't great for watertight seals on watches. I've heard it can weaken the seals and cause a leak.

The little marlin on the watch is a great touch, and the face is very easy to read. The white markers contrast really well with the black dial, and even have a mirror-like edge to them, which makes the markers stand out even more. The offset date at 4 o'clock makes it look interesting, too.

My only disappointment was the band - it's a hard rubbery band and not very comfortable. That's why I took off one star from my rating. Aside from the band this watch really rocks! To solve that, I bought a Timex Expedition Adjustable 16-20mm watch strap TX977761L, Timex watchband, Fast - Wrap Expedition, 16-20mm, Black, Adjustable, Long. It's for a Timex Expedition, so it says Timex on it, but it's a great velcro strap that's really easy to adjust and install on the Casio.

If you decide you want to change straps like me, just pop out the strap that comes with the Casio, pull out and save the little springs, then attach the Casio (using it's springs) to the Timex strap. Took 3 minutes and I love the adjustable Timex strap, it's very comfortable and dries out easily when it's gotten wet.

I definitely recommend this watch. It's well worth the money for the water resistance, and looks really nice!

As someone else commented, this watch is reminiscent of the Omega "Planet Ocean" watch, as worn by Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond film. I wouldn't call it a knockoff, it just has a similar style to it. For under $50, it's a solid, attractive, and classically masculine watch, and definitely fills the role I purchased it for.

It even features a Bond style gadget! The illuminator button on the top right activates (2) very bright LED lights behind the 12 and 6 positions... the LED's stay lit for a couple seconds and are very bright white.... you could easily use this watch as a flashlight in a dark room. The watch also features a screw down crown, which I think is a nice high-end feature for such an inexpensive timepiece.

Unlike almost every other review here, I had no problems at all with the strap... Mine is very soft and comfortable. Not sure if Casio changed it, or if I just have different tastes, but really, I find the watch a pleasure to wear as is.

Sure, this watch is no Omega or Rolex, but for the money, I think it's a solid, attractive, and functional piece, that packs a hell of a lot of style into an affordable package.

4/17/09

Just wanted to add, I've had the watch for some time now, and I still have no problems with the strap... again, not sure if Casio changed it out, or if I'm just in the minority, but I think it's quite comfortable.

Also, another positive feature is the luminosity of the watch... after a normal day's wear, I have no trouble seeing the watch in the dark, and don't even need to use the LED function to tell the time. They used two colors of luminous paint as well... a light blue for the markers, and traditional green for the hands, which is kind of neat. All in all, I still can't believe this is a sub $50 watch. Great deal!

Pros:
Rotating top-ring, 200m water resistent, LED lighting. luminescent paint is two colors: green for hands, blue for hour markers. Screw-down crown, screw-down caseback (usually found on higher end diver's watches).

Cons:
Crystal "bulges" outward (prone to scratching), the inset luminescent marker on the topring does not glow very brightly/hard to see in dim lighting. Dial is not completely black, but more of a dark gray (Topring is completely black). Uncomfortable strap. Topring is hard to turn with fingerpads - I have to use my nail, especially underwater.

I've been windsurfing and sailing with this watch and it's been great. If you want a basic, durable diver's watch, look no further. At this price, this is the one to beat.

So here's the thing: It is a remarkable watch. Heavily built with seemingly solid construction. Very easy to read, beautiful to look at and the other reviews are right: The two LEDs are stunningly bright. You will NEVER have a problem reading this in the dark. It is an exceptional time piece and a ridiculous value. The ratchet works very well, the screw down crown is as smooth as you would expect from a very high end watch. This could easily be priced for a few hundred and would be worth it except for one massive flaw: The band is beyond BAD. It may be one of the great engineering failures of the modern era. It is unbearably stiff and has been designed to dig into your wrist like some kind of medieval torture device. Do not buy this watch unless you buy a replacement strap right up front. I did as a previous review suggested and got the Modena 22mm rubber strap with deployment clasp. I took it out of the box and inside of ten minutes the soft rubber it is made with had begun to collect dust and debris... Which it hung on to with amazing tenacity! On top of that, the clasp is flimsy and poorly made. I tossed that into the can along with the original band. I next ordered a 22mm Seiko diver's band also from Amzaon. Success at last! A tad stiff but a nice tight fit for the watch. Simple black with a standard buckle. Looks like it was the original strap and is very comfortable.
Here's the item/part number: 001-seikoOrigRubber22
Well worth the money.

As a professional dive instructor (for real), I think this watch is a fantastic value, and I actually own one and use it on all of my dives. I told my wife I wanted one for father's day, and put it in her Amazon.com shopping basket.

For you divers out there, dive watches used to be a required accessory to track bottom time. But with the advent of dive computers in the last 10 years, people don't often wear them as much. I own four other, more expensive dive watches (Citizen, TAG, Suunto, etc). But rather than take a chance on a broken band, malfunctioning clasp, etc., and losing a more expensive watch at the bottom of a lake, I'd much rather put $ into an every-day watch I won't be afraid to wear on a dive.

It has a screw-down crown, good visibility from the crystal (although I didn't like the raised crystal because it does create some glare on the face of the watch when viewed from some angles). Water resistant to 200 meters, great LED light for night dives, and a one-way bezel...just a good, solid all-around dive watch.

...and unlike what a lot of people say about the watch band, it works just fine. It's not rubber, but some kind of a composite/plastic...but for actual diving, this durability is EXACTLY what you need to make it last. Sunlight, chlorine, etc., can eventually break-down and cause a black rubber band to degrade and break (I know this from personal experience with my Citizen dive watch!).

Cons:

1. The ridges on the bezel are not raised quite enough, and makes it difficult (but not impossible) to rotate the bezel with dive gloves on, and sometimes just with wet fingers. But it's
workable.
2. The raised crystal creates some additional glare, but it's not that bad.
3. The band is stiff, but is actually very durable. So if you're not a diver, replace the band with one that suits you, but if you will use this for diving, leave the original on.

You can't go wrong with this purchase!

Basically this is a nice, inexpensive watch. I'm a scuba diver, so I needed a watch that was water-proof down to 200 feet. I like the illumination button (so does my 6 month-old daughter!) and the strap is very thick (strong) as well as comfortable.

However, after about 2 days I noticed the watch was running slow - and was loosing about 10 minutes a day. After several days of adjusting the time at the end of the day, I noticed it started to loose several hours in the course of the day.

In the end, it's a nice watch for the price but it's just a shame I seem to have got one that wasn't made very well.

I'm surprised since I have always had good results with Casio.

Same as the others were saying about the band. It is very uncomfortable, especially at night when you may have your hands under the covers or sleeping on your arm. The band really digs into your wrist. It isn't so much that the band is made out of hard materials, as it is that the under side of the band isn't smooth. It has really sharp and deep ridges in it.

I'm really bummed because this is one of the best and toughest looking dive watches on the market. I've had dive watches my whole life, and as far as looks, feel, and build quality goes, this watch is great. That being said, I am not a diver, and the backlight is way to bright for me as well. Probably perfect if you are truly going to use it as a diving watch (as it is intended!) and not just an everyday watch like me. I turned the backlight on early in the morning in bed, and it nearly blinded me! It is not a soft glow like the timex indiglow. Instead it is 2 bright LED lights that are basically uncovered.

Again, watch is perfect for temp. diving, but not for everyday wearing, unless you have skin of leather. Super looking watch at a great price. I ended up buying another timex dive watch with an orange face, and while it is much more confortable and has great looks, it has cheaper black paint on the face, and it is already coming off after a month. The Casio is made of solid metal face that is nice and heavy duty, so I think it will be much more scratch resistant.

Length:: 0:39 Mins

Great watch for gym and weekend -durable, cheap!

Works great. Drifts only a few seconds per month. Feels very robust and solid. Looks good and pretty expensive from a distance, as long as you're far away enough for people not to read the "CASIO" label... The light is very strong, can be used to search for stuff in darkness etc. The bezel ring comes in handy when you want to time your pasta etc.

All this at a ridiculously low price!

I own a few more expensive watches so I wanted an every-dayer. This is far more spectacular in person. Solid build and quality. Have owned it for a few months and banged it a bit, no scratches and great timing, to the marker- I was amazed due to the price. The precision is on point. I have gone swimming & fishing, worked on a few cars, hiked, hand washed dirty laundry, u name it and exposed it to gasoline and oil, no issues.
Note, I replaced the band with a Seiko, well worth it due to the uncomfortable feel of the stock band- the one it comes with, that's the only drawback. But for the price, no question. I would easily pay double the amt. for this timepiece. Thanks Casio.