Casio Watches
Many people may know Casio as the calculator brand, especially in the UK. However, Casio is also known for their impressive, functional, reliable and stunning watches. Recently, I have discovered the Casio world of watches, and I must say they have shot up to one of my favourite brands of all time (as mindless capitalist consumerist that sounds.)
Why the Casio watch?
- Reliability - They will continue to work effortlessly without glitches or bugs. Their batteries last for up to 10 years on some watches! Some watches even charge with solar power, meaning that you’ll always have the time.
- Accuracy - They keep time much better than a mechanical watch (+/- 15s a month), and some Casio watches even sync to atomic clocks every night for constant accuracy down to the millisecond. Accuracy is very important to me as keeping things on time is as important to me as breathing.
- Strength - Some Casio watches are known as “G-Shock,” which is really it’s own brand and set of watches. They are built to be unbreakable and rugged, surviving drops, large depths of water and scratches. G-Shocks are pretty much unbreakable. Casio watches in general are built strong, they won’t fall apart unless you really try to break them.
- Functionality - They come with all the functions that you will ever need in a watch with no extra rubbish you find in smartwatches; they are the most minimal and perfect watches for any use case.
- Range - There are so many different watches for different use cases, there really is a watch for everyone from Casio.
- Affordability - Casio watches come at a fraction of the cost of shiny expensive mechanical watches that provide little function other than supposed “style.”
- Aesthetics - Vintage Casio watches have a retro aesthetic that no other brand like Casio can master. They are becoming increasingly popular because of the design that is so unique to Casio. The retro designs are just perfect, with no margin for error, unlike some other brands that try and pull off the same look.
- Disconnection - No more relying on Apple or Samsung to update your watch, keep the time in sync or even to keep it working. There’s no relying on a phone, which may one day make your watch useless or obsolete (take the Pebble watch for example.) Casio watches are yours - they give you freedom and control. With this, you get privacy as well as reliability. Yes, other watches by design offer this too, but without the functionality of a Casio watch, meaning that you don’t have to have a smartwatch for functionality.
- Repairability - They have replaceable batteries, and replaceable everything really - unlike incredibly locked down smartwatches, a battery replacement only takes a few minutes and a cheap £1-3 battery. They mostly use plastic glass covers, which when scratched can be easily repaired with some PolyWatch. In addition, a lot of Casio watches are extremely cheap, so if you manage to break them completely, you can always replace them.
- Modable - Thanks to the large community around these watches, you can parts almost anywhere to add to your watch. Whether it be bumper bars, a screen protector, a new case or strap, you can always customise and make your Casio different than the rest.
Ditching the smartwatch
I previously used an Apple Watch, and found it incredibly useful for school, being able to see messages and my upcoming classes. As I’ve moved on, I’ll no longer need these features, and instead I would take the features of a Casio over a smartwatch anytime. I now have watches that are in my control, and are not in control of some big tech corporation which now knows literally every bit of information about me. I have gotten fed up of charging my watch every single night, and often by accident missing a charge. I now have timekeeping available to me always. (Well, I still wear a smartwatch, on my other wrist, pretty much for notifications only and reminders at college.)
My Casio watches
So far, I have only added two to my collection, and they are the only two I think I will ever need.
Casio Royale (AE-1200WH-1AVCF)
I got this watch for it’s amazing design and functionality in such a small package. This watch really does look high-tech, yet everything on it is genuinely useful. The tiny map display is so cool to look at, especially when travelling. It’s incredibly affordable, at only £25, which is a bargain for the features. The ten-year battery in this watch means that I can keep it away, and when I need it for an event it’ll always be ready for me.
G-Shock Square (GW-M5610U-1ER)
This watch will forever be my go-to, reliable, perfect watch. It has absolutely everything to keep it going forever, such as Casio’s Tough Solar and Multi Band 6. The upgraded model (“U” in the model number) improves the previous model with some small but significant improvements which make the watch much better than the previous. This is my daily watch, ready to handle any situation I throw at it.