Today we are looking at the absolute icon of Casio. I don’t even think I need to review this watch, we all know what it is and we all already own one!
If you don’t, I will save you some time reading the rest of the article. Just get one. It’s probably one of the cheapest, yet best watches you can buy.
This watch is the pure definition of an 80s style digital watch.
Model – Casio F-91W
The model I have is the F-91W and this is the original and sort of standard version.
You can find few watches that might start with this model number, but have a few extra letters or numbers. These watches are exactly the same; they are usually just a different colour. There is a whole rainbow of options you can now pick from and they are all equally as cool.
The watch is small at only 36mm in diameter, but it is rugged and does everything you would ever need. It’s also super inexpensive, which is why pretty much why everyone owns one.
They have an almost cult like following among watch collectors and are so good they have even used by terrorists in bombs, which isn’t the best marketing, but I guess it just shows how cheap and reliable the area.
Brand
Casio and this watch are pretty much the same thing. You can’t mention Casio without an image of this watch appearing in your head.
I would argue this is the defining Casio watch. For me it is their most iconic watch and fully encapsulates what the brand is about. Affordable, simple, yet high quality digital watches.
(You can read more information about – Is Casio A God Tier Watch Brand?)
Movement
Inside is the 593 quartz module. It does everything you need. It tells the time in 12 or 24 hours as well as showing you the day and date. It also comes with an alarm and a stop watch.
There is also a backlight to allow you to see the time in the dark.
Dial
This is the digital watch that inspired so many other watches. It has a rectangle display that is easily read and is surrounded by a black boarder with a thin blue surround. It has the usual text written all over the dial, telling you the functions of the watch. This makes it a little busy, but at the same time it is rather simple and well balanced.
Bezel
There is no bezel on this watch.
Crystal
The crystal is a flat mineral glass, which means it can scratch, but I would not worry too much about it.
I have has this watch for over a decade and it only has a very minor scratch on it. This could be buffed out with poly watch, but it really doesn’t bother me.
Case
The case is made from resin and is black. It is has 3 pushers on the side to control the settings and there is 2 on the left and 1 on the right.
The watch is rather small at only 36mm in diameter, 37mm lug to lug and only 9mm thick. It also only weighs 22g so you really hardly feel it at all.
The case back is the classic screw down case that can easily be opened to change the battery.
Lume
Although this watch is good, it has one thing from stopping it be perfect, the backlight.
It’s dreadful. It’s a single green LED on the left hand side and it just about lights up enough to see the time. It barely passes as useable, but I guess it does the job.
Strap
The watch is issued with a black resin strap. It is totally fine and very comfortable, but will it will not last as long as the watch.
Mine has finally started to show some wear. They will always start to crack where they are used most the most. Here you can see the crack forming next to the hole where I wear it.
It takes a good few years to see this type of wear, so it’s nothing to really worry about. You can easily replace the strap with a direct replacement, or you can add a Nato strap like I have done on my Casio W-59.
(You can read more about – How Durable Are Casio Watches?)
Price
I bought this watch in 2012 for £8. I’ve seen it now on Amazon for double that, but I have also seen it in a local shop recently for £9.99.
So it’s extremely affordable. This is partly why everyone owns one; the other reason is because they do everything you need, are reliable and accurate and are pretty robust… oh and they look cool too, all for under £10. incredible
Fakes
Even though this watch is extremely assessable both in price and availability, there are fakes.
To confirm if you have a genuine, hold down the right hand button. After a few seconds it will show CASIO on the screen. This actually works on a lot of cheap Casio’s, so give it a try and check that you have a genuine watch.
(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Casio Watches)
Overall Opinion
While I would still say the G-shock square is the only watch you ever need, I think if you were not that into watches, you could easily just have this watch.
It does nearly everything and it does it well. It’s also so cheap that is almost disposable which is why it is so common to see among police officers and people with rough jobs. If it breaks, you can just get another, however, they don’t really break that easily. It will probably just run out of battery before its breaks.
This watch is truly an icon and all the hype around it is justified and at the end of the day they are only £10, so just get one and enjoy it.
(You can read more information about – Are Casio Watches Worth Collecting?)
Ian is the main writer at Horology Dream and is a lover all things watch related.
He has been a watch collector for over a decade and brings his knowledge and experience to this site to help you on your own watch collecting journey.
You can connect with him on Social media and talk anything watches or read more about him on his Author Page.
