Riddle me this. How do $30 Casio watches make it into the same collections as the Rolexes and Omegas of the world? A discerning collector knows that a comprehensive assembly of culturally significant, well-built timepieces typically includes a Casio. Is nostalgia so powerful?
Actually, Casio is culturally significant, and their watches are well-built. The retro-cool aesthetic is also easy to wear. It’s been in and out of fashion enough that it’s graduated into the timeless category.
Moreover, many budget watch brands have been enveloped into bigger conglomerates. Casio, on the other hand, is the conglomerate, ensuring their models are still overseen by the originators. And unlike many budget watch brands who managed one or two icons, Casio boasts several. Nine to be exact.
Casio F-91W
One of the most sold watches in the world, the F-91W is both an icon and an archetype. It’s one of the best representatives when it comes to Casio choosing prevalence over rarity. Most guys have worn something like an F-91W, and with its recognizable resin case and wearable dimensions, it’s arguably an epitome of classic retroness. Of course, about zero percent of its always reliable features have changed since its debut in the dawn of the ‘90s.
Its matte, black construction is versatile, being both suit-appropriate and jeans-appropriate. Its red and blue accents are reminiscent of all late ‘80s electronics, and its iconically dim green backlight is balanced out with its impressive accuracy.
Casio World Time
With its full-on control panel watch face, the Casio World Time really should’ve been worn by Bond in the ‘70s. Since it came out years after though, that’d require time travel—which this watch looks like it might be capable of. Its gadget-like aesthetic includes a world map with 31 time zones, a stopwatch, and of course, the time itself at the very bottom.
This watch has, however, been referred to as the Casio Royale, since it looks like Roger Moore’s Octopussy watch. Overall, the Casio World Time is a practical timepiece, hardly a toy but as fun as one, and it definitely has an international man of mystery air about it.
Casio F-100
The F-100 came out in the ‘70s, and with its 100% resin external structure (a first for Casio at the time) and its four-button spaceship-like console, is a coveted collector’s item. The design was put on the pop culture map by the first Alien film. Ellen Ripley wore a fictional version that included two F-100 watches on one strap.
Still, you don’t have to stalk eBay and pay hundreds of dollars to get its retro-futuristic, but still pragmatically user-friendly, look. The A-100 is a readily available predecessor, with a chrome-plated finish and a stainless steel bracelet. As any good 2.0, it keeps the signature look and vibe, even among advantageous, contemporary updates.
Casio CA53W Calculator Watch
My number one recommendation to those seeking their first, or only, calculator watch is the Casio CA53W. Its design is just so fundamental. So for first-timers, it will make you look like you’ve been wearing calculator watches your whole life. If you’re simply looking to check an important box of watch collecting, it’ll fulfill all of your calc watch needs with just one model.
The no-fuss CA53W features dual time and an eight-digit calculator with conveniently raised buttons. Its almost monochrome palette and reasonable size (just 42.3 millimeters at its longest side) makes it relatively adaptable too.
Casio G-Shock 5600 Series
The 5600 Series comprises the most quintessential Casio G-Shock models. After all, the G-Shock subline was developed with a laser-focus on shock resistance, and the 5600 watches both look and perform the part. Each is a no-nonsense, military-tough piece of gear, flaunting its signature eight-sided polygonic case, matte aesthetic, and all of its famed features.
We all love the stopwatch, timer, and auto-calendar, but the blue-green backlight is an icon in its own right, especially with its lingering afterglow. Some might argue that the 5600 series to G-Shock is like the Oyster Perpetual to Rolex. It’s a comprehensive base model, and it comes in several fun colorways.
Casio A152G-5
Hailing from one of Casio’s royal families, the silver-toned, throwback-style A1 watches, this AI52G-5 showcases its clan’s iconic look. Its combination of black and silver tones, with blue accents and a hint of red, and all of that digital font, is a look I like to describe as “reconstituted Game Boy.”
The A152G-5 is sleeker though, with a slight sheen to the surface thanks to its chrome plating, H-linked bracelet, and clean silhouette. It definitely scores higher than almost anything on the market when it comes to that rare combination of icon-status and accessibility.
Casio TM-100 Transmitter Watch
If you can get your hands on the Casio TM-100 Transmitter Watch from the ‘80s, you go for it. It has the remarkable characteristic of looking distinct and unique today, attached to the assumption that it might have been thoroughly of its time. Yet in reality, it was distinct and unique for its time as well. With its visible antenna, it’s a downright Dick Tracey watch.
Legend has it that the TM-100 was never officially advertised, making it both a mystery and a conversation piece. You can conduct audio signals via the console beneath the lever, play music into the microphone, or simply speak into it like a walkie talkie, then let it broadcast to radios in your vicinity. There’s even a knob for frequency calibration.
Casio CMD-10
In the ‘90s, there was something so captivating about taking any remote system and repurposing its control panel onto your wrist. Let’s be real, it’s still a pretty cool concept today. The Casio CMD-10 is the classic dual watch and television controller, the very same one that every class prankster used to trick the science teacher into thinking a ghost was turning her nature documentary on and off. You can even use it to control digital cameras.
In the context of today, this watch combines novelty styling, just check out those tactile side buttons, with a now time-honored vintage feel. It’s also a fun party trick.
Casio DBA-800 Phone Dialer
When it debuted in the go-go ‘80s, the Casio DBA-800 Phone Dialer seemed like it came straight from the future. And with its ability to digitally store numbers, the only way people do it today, it kind of did. Moreover, with its shiny polygonic look and snaking bracelet, it almost still looks like it’s from the future.
The DBA-800 was also the world’s very first phone dialer. Between that and its memorable style, this watch is like a museum-level artifact. It certainly represents a moment in history that’s still relevant today.
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