The Best Casio Watches You Can Wear Anywhere | WIRED
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Ask any watch nerd what the most affordable watch in their collection is, and they'll almost certainly pull out a Casio. The legendary Japanese brand is one of the few in horology that truly transcends class, race, and nationality. You're just as likely to see “buy anything” watch nerds like John Mayer rocking a six-figure Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe alongside a G-Shock. Casios just look cool and function well. From on-screen use in everything from Back to the Future to Stranger Things, a Casio deserves a place—or several—in every serious collector's watch box.
Casio offers a wide assortment of models that appeal to everyone, at all price points. Here are the favorites that I've seen and tried, from simple classics to advanced modern smartwatches.
Be sure to check out our other watch buying guides, including the Best Cheap Watches Under $1,000, the Best Seiko Sports Watches, and the Best Smartwatches.
- An Affordable Legend
Photograph: Parker Hall
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Casio
F91W
$30 $22 (27% off) Amazon
$30 Casio
Casio's iconic F91W has been worn by millions for decades. Introduced in 1989, it has already become a classic. This thin watch with a slim rubber band handles all the basic timekeeping you need and retails for less than $30 new.
You can get it in a ton of colors (I like my wife's brass bezelled version), but even the classic black goes with any outfit. When the band inevitably comes apart after a couple of years, just replace it with a new one. My wife claims this is the most common watch she sees among Pacific Northwest surfers, because it easily fits under a wet suit, and you don't mind if you lose it accidentally.
The only downside I've found over a decade of wear? The light to illuminate the screen in the dark is hilariously bad. You can still sort of tell the time, but if you want a better backlight, check out the Illuminator model (F105W-1A, $30), which fixes this ancient problem, and looks nearly identical.
- A Classic G-Shock
Photograph: Parker Hall
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Casio
DW5600
$100 $65 (35% off) Amazon
$100 Casio
There are hundreds of variants of the DW5600 on the market, each modeled after the first-ever G-Shock. It was designed by legendary Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe, who, after dropping and breaking a watch his father had given him in the late 1970s, became obsessed with creating a watch that was indestructible. Regardless of which movement variant you get (solar, atomic, classic, inverted dial—there are countless to choose from), each watch is designed to what Casio calls Triple 10 principles: 10-year battery life, 10-bar (100-meter) water resistance, and protection against a 10-meter fall onto concrete.
Needless to say, this is a rugged watch that will take a lifetime of abuse, as long as you change the battery (or get a solar model). This basic G-Shock is the foundation of much of Casio's acclaim as a buy-it-for-life watch brand, and there are so many cool versions to choose from. Mine comes from a collaboration between skate brand Preduce and a Thai artist, a limited release that my wife picked up when visiting her family there. There are tons of other cool variants; my brother has a NASA one, and I have another made with ocean plastic for a charitable foundation.
All of my DW5600s, which I typically wear when doing the dirtiest tasks in my life, still look great after tons of gross, greasy adventures, and they have a timeless look you really never get over. Just find a version you like, because in my experience, you're never going to stop wearing it.
- A Full Metal G Shock
Photograph: Parker Hall
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Casio
GMW-B5000-D1
$539 $509 (6% off) Amazon
$600 Casio
If the DW5600 above isn't quite rugged enough for you, Casio also has a version of the classic G-Shock in full metal. This watch is solar powered, comes with radio-based atomic time, and can pair to your phone via Bluetooth to adjust settings.
The silver review unit Casio sent my way turns heads, but to be honest, if I had purchased it myself, I'd have gone for the insanely flashy gold model. Everybody loves a big, gaudy Casio, and for me, the more flash the better. The case is heavy and robust, and the band actually tapers nicely to a milled metal clasp, making it as secure as you'll find for adventuring.
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- A Watch for World Travelers
Photograph: Parker Hall
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Casio
AE1200WH
$40 $30 (25% off) Amazon
$40 Casio
As someone with family across the world, it's genuinely useful to have a watch with a world time function because it lets me easily tell what time it is in Bangkok for my toddler's FaceTime calls with the grandparents. This is perhaps the coolest global timer I've ever seen and used, with a tiny world map in the upper right, a c