I received this watch on 1-20-2018. I received my first Casio watch on Christmas morning somewhere around 1979. That watch, a simple, black plastic digital one, kept working for about 15 years, on the same battery. This wasn't any great feat in my mind at the time. It was just all I really knew, except for the time when I got an Armitron calculator watch at some point. Not only did the Armitron not last, it also felt like it wouldn't last. The buttons were flimsy, the edges rough, and it had an overall plasticky feel, even though it was gold. My old Casio shined by comparison. My dad got himself the same one as me that Christmas, except in stainless, and anytime it came up in later years, he'd laugh and say something like "David, I think I wore that watch for thirty years and I only replaced the battery once." So that is what Casio is in my mind.
One time at the office I said to a coworker that Casio was the best watch in the world. Of course he laughed and quickly pointed out that there are FAR better watches. And he was certainly correct, but not for the money.
I've had a few other Casios in my life. A Forester model which was really cool because of the forest green color and the fact that it was a fishing watch. What "fishing watch" actually meant was that it would tell you the about the ocean tides. Living in New Mexico, this was totally useless, but I still liked the little fish that would appear when the tide was high or something. Another Casio I got was the one with the world time with the atomic clock sensor. This one was a little off. The light stopped working after a while and setting it was a pain. But it's still ticking in my drawer right now after eight or so years and I still wear it here and there.
But probably not anymore.
This watch...this watch has me all smiles. I don't really have words to say. I'm not necessarily a "watch guy" in that sense, but I have always had one on my left arm since the age of ten or so. And honestly if it wasn't for Casio, I probably would have skipped wearing one mostly.
Casio doesn't always hit it out of the park. After all they live and breathe like the rest of us. Maybe that's what makes this one such a beauty.
I bought a very nice Bulova a couple years back for around $400. I like that watch. I get compliments on it and for good reason. It's solid. It's heavy. They paid very close attention to the design and the finish is beautiful. It feels like a $400 dollar watch or more. It is perfect for wearing to the office. Well, not really. Not since 1-20-2018.
I don't dive. I have never diven (?) OK I have never dived. But something about a watch that is designed to be SIX HUNDRED FEET UNDER WATER AND STILL WORK gets me interested. There are many watches that can do this and much more, but they are not this watch.
If I was a Viking, this would be the watch I wore.
So what can I say? Yes, the date is comically small. I need reading glasses for small print and still can't read the date with them on. I guess most people who have not just come out of a coma should know the date. Touche, Casio.
Oh and the Lumiglo or whatever is weak and nearly pointless, but at least it's there. I do like to light it up with my phone flashlight and look at it in the closet, however.
But if I tap the crystal with my fingernail you know, it feels like I am tapping bulletproof glass.
The bezel has a great click and I actually find myself using it! I use it to time my commute, or to time how long the waiter takes to bring the food out after I order.
This is the kind of watch that is not going to win you any likes or impress anyone, unless they are a very smart, unselfish engineer type. Maybe. With my Bulova, people have actually wanted to hold it, they have examined it closely and then complimented me on it, gave it back, and then looked at it on my arm as if they may mug me later. This one won't really do that. You are the only one who will ever truly appreciate what this watch is. It's a secret love affair. I like that about it.
A few things that I will say that I haven't read about it in those other reviews. The band for one thing. It's pretty good. It looks all plasticky and horrible in the pictures, I thought anyway. But in fact it is pliable, if not supple, and rather well proportioned, if not svelte. The clasp is also sort of excellent. It's not cheap. It's like they actually realized that the clasp is just as important as the other parts. It's like some executive with Casio said "The clasp is the most important part of any watch. It's what keeps it on. Make it beefy." Yep. That's exactly what happened. It is well made, with a soft, rounded finish, and it makes a nice clink sound when you are putting it on.
There's really nothing more to say.
Except when I look at this watch to see what time it is, I know the time within .003 seconds of my eyes seeing the face. It's just so clear. And functional. And simple. I never really thought about that with any other watch, and I love it.
So I'll stop now, but expect an update when this watch becomes less of what it is now, or in the year 2040, whichever comes first.
***UPDATE*** April 27, 2021
The watch has become slightly less of what it was then, but not really. Let me explain. This thing has lived on my arm most days since I bought it. That's about 1,200 days. Before you ask, I do not take the watch into water. No showering with it, no swimming with it. I don't sleep with it, but I do remodel homes here and there and other sweaty messy things too and it gets dirty sometimes.
Anyways, my first tiny little bummer happened last June, though it was so tiny I did not do an update. The bummer was that the battery died. Bummer. So I took the watch in to some random fancy jewelry store I found on Google maps, and they replaced the battery. I waited five days for the job to be completed and it cost twenty bucks. I got the watch back and all was well. Then about four months later it died again. This time slightly more furious, I went to a little jewelry store I happened to be driving past and this guy took it apart, checked the battery, which he said was perfect, cleaned it really well and said it was probably just dirty inside. I suspected shoddy workmanship and/or a lack of attention to detail on behalf of the fancy place. So I was on my way with a clean, healthy watch. The guy didn't charge a dime and did this on the spot and it took five minutes. He was a pro.
The watch actually seems to keep even more perfect time since that happened. Seriously.
And then the other day the band broke while putting it on. (See pictures)
I just ordered a genuine replacement band from Casio, and I noticed in the pictures that the replacement says Casio JAPAN on it, while my original one says CHINA. (See pictures) So I have high hopes for the new one.
Other than these two things, the watch has been stellar.
- This Casio watch, when purchased direct from Amazon.com, is covered by Casio's 1-year limited warranty. Please see the full Casio warranty for more information. Shop Casio watches Direct from Amazon.com
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