So Casio – again! And not for the first time featured and I doubt it will be the last time either that I feature this amazing Company’s range of even more amazing watches, because there’s no question that for watch models for everyday and for you and I, they are probably unsurpassed. The fact is Casio is virtually a household name to many of us and certainly over the past 50 years. From that amazing Calculator you used to smuggle into school (they weren’t allowed in the good old days (1960’s & 70’s), then that snazzy Wrist Watch that had Digits and you were the first in the street that had one, to Cameras, Musical Instruments and so on – if it was to do with pushing the boundaries of miniature Electronics – then Casio was right there. And I’m pleased to say – still is!
What prompted this Post was that I took out of my display cabinet the other day, a spotless as new and pristine Casio AW80 Telememo 30 (Japan 2427 module, China case) and wore it for the first time in ages. The time after a few years was not quite right, so I had to try and remember how to set it. Fortunately the 2427 module is a clever and quite intuitive. I basically used the Mode (lower left) to select LON & time and set the digits to the current time. Then used Mode to reach H-S which is hand setting mode. Pushing the lower right button moves the hands (clockwise only) and in my case I had to move them quite a long way. Pushing both upper and lower left buttons starts the movement of the hands – take you fingers OFF the buttons – once you are within a minute or two, stop with the lower button, then each press moves it one minute – to the correct time.
I noted too that the last time I changed the battery was nearly 13 years ago, which is considerably over the 10 years stated. Good eh?
And this is one of the major points about Casio watches – they simply go on and on! And I’ve seen this same watch for sale, new on Ebay today at around $19 – talk about value! (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Casio-AW80V-5B-Mens-30-Page-Data-Bank-Analog-Digital-Watch-10-Year-Battery-50M-/231108284017). It even uses the same 2747 module, so that’s got to tell you something about quality.
But what’s new at Casio and do they even need anything new, I hear myself say – so I had a look . . . . .
Of course there are many new G Shock models around and these can command almost non Casio prices, such as the Premium 30th Anniversary model MTG-S1030BD-1AER which costs around £1000. Featuring Radio Control, Solar and so forth, the range continues down to the more affordable G Shocks we all know and love. But I’m more concerned with the smaller dimensioned non G Shocks which I find more interesting. Such as this classic round dial Casio AE1000W-1A – World Time, Alarm etc. at a very affordable £20. Great resin hard case with softer fixed bezel and a see what you need to see ‘at a glance’ dial – and so easily readable.
But this new model (to me at any rate) Casio AQ-190W-1A, World Time, Alarm etc. is reminiscent of the wonderful Citizen Skyhawks, but amazingly affordable at around £40 is a real surprise. Featuring analogue Neobrite luminous hands etc, high contrast digital displays, a 1/1000 sec stopwatch, 5 Daily alarms, Timer, Auto Calendar and unusually a rounded glass, 100m Water Resistance and a stainless & resin case. It’s also a neat size at 45mm x 13mm and so light weight, wearable by almost anybody.
And finally in my little round up of Casio is this rather elegant MTF-117L-5AV which is a more conventional style from Casio. It is an analogue model with no digital features with a stainless case, aluminium bezel, mineral glass Day and Date watch with a quartz movement at +/120secs per month. The dimensions are a very neat 39.5mm x 9.9mm so is a slim model and there are 9 Gents versions and 6 Ladies versions and a nice addition to the Casio range.
A slight departure from the more classic Casio look, but a very nice watch and I particularly like the day indicator, which does not reply on the more usual pointer, but rather a red dot indicator, on a vertical scale, which is both neat and visible. I have to admit I quite like the look of it and rather impressed they’ve managed to get away from the stereotypical Casio image – nice one!
That’s it for Casio for now, but I leave this Post with a montage image of a few of the Casio models featured or mentioned over the past few months on this site – – it’s quite a line up. I will however, every so often trawl the Casio sites to see what’s new. So, as ever “Watch (this) Space.
I always seem to have around a dozen or so Casio models, bought over the years since the 1970’s – very few of them expensive apart from my Oceanus and so far they all seem to share a common factor – they still work!
Latest –
Well when I got my Oceanus, I though it was the last Casio I’d ever buy. BUT whilst expensive and clever and all that, it simply didn’t give me the same buzz as the ‘cheap and cheerful’ resin hybrids packed with nice little last for ever modules – AND you could swap and change them at little cost, which was fun.
So, in the event I sold on the Oceanus to someone, like me, who (at the time) thought it was the best thing out there. I wonder if he’s still got it?
Watch space 