I like to think of WWR as being the home of affordable watch reviews and articles. Yes, I am interested in higher-end watches (and you’ll see me write about those here and at aBlogtoWatch), but the affordable end of the spectrum will always hold a special place in my horological heart. That’s a long way of saying that I’m fairly certain I’ve found about the best bargain you could hope for in a digital watch.
That watch, of course, is the not-so-sexily named Casio F91W-1 Classic Resin Strap Digital Sport Watch
. With a name like that, you’re not going to be surprised to see that the styling looks like something straight out of the 80s. That said, if a design works (form follows function), then why mess with it? At the pricepoint this watch comes in at (more on that in a bit), you’re not going for haute horology – you’re going for simplicity in use.
And what a multitude of uses this watch has. Like any good digital watch, you’ve got a full complement of functionality:
- Date and time
- Chronograph
- Alarm (including hourly chime)
- Backlight
- Water resistant (ie, don’t dunk this one)
As Han Solo said, “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts.” Yeah, the watch doesn’t have the same soul a mechanical that has similar functionality might have (well, that alarm is a trickier one to come by, though not impossible), but it’s a good more-than-basic watch that should serve you well. The real sweetener to this whole deal, though, is the price you can snag one for.
So, what does all of this cost? This Casio can be yours for under $12 shipped. Even if you had to pay full MSRP, you’d still come in at under $20. Even if you opt for the bracelet version (here
), you’re still under $14. I don’t know about you, but if I were looking for, say, a beater watch or something to hand off to a kid, this would be one of the first choices I might opt for. Sure, it’s maybe not as “fun” as our (WWR, that is) current entry-level mechanical favorite, the Seiko Orange Monster
, but it’s coming in at 1/10th of the price, with (let’s be honest here) more functionality.
Will a watch like this replace my mechanicals or higher-end analog quartz models? Not in the least. But I see watches like this Casio having a good use for many folks, regardless of age or sex. Shoot, this might even be one of the first “real” watches I get my oldest once she outgrows her Thomas watch. I am almost tempted to pick one up to do a full hands-on review, but we’ll see how that shakes out. In the meantime, I’m interested what you think about this watch (or this type of watch), gentle reader. Do you have one like this in your watchbox, or are you considering picking one up for yourself or someone else? Inquiring minds want to know!
