Matt

10 de octubre de 2016

Too many reviews

There are simply too many reviews of this watch. So instead of a review I’d like to share with you a conversation I had the other day with one of my co-workers. Co-work: What’s that on your wrist? Did you borrow that watch from you 10 year old son? It’s so small and cheap looking. I didn’t think you ever knew how to read a LCD display. Casio F-91W Owner: It’s a Casio F-91W, and no I didn’t borrow it from my son, but sometimes I let him borrow it from me. I know that I typically, prefer analogue watches with a mechanical or automatic movements. I did need to read the instruction manual I figure out how to read the digital display. Once I figured out that the colon on the display is separating the hours (on the left) from the minute (on the right) and the smaller numbers on the far right represent the seconds; it’s actual easier to read that the 3 hand analogues. Co-work: So, why did you buy this watch? It doesn’t seem to fit in with your Seiko 5, Orient, HMT, Citizen Eco-drive or that Chinese knock-off of an expensive German watch you can’t afford, that you typically wear to the office. Casio F-91W Owner: It’s nothing like my other watches, but this watch is one of the great classics. This model was first made in 1991, and was the smart watch of its time. The features and price-point is also unbeatable. I got it specifically because I am going on vacation to the beach and I wanted an affordable watch to wear of the beach and in the pool. This is proven technology; this model has been manufacture for over two decades and it’s almost bombproof. Co-work: Doesn’t WR mean Water Resistant; like splash and rain resistant only. I thought you need at least a 50m or 100m rating to take it swimming. Casio F-91W Owner: You are completely correct, and completely wrong. A watch worth worrying about needs at least a 50m or preferable a 100m rating just for swimming on the surface more or less. Personally, I wouldn’t take any of my other watches swimming on purpose, even though some of them have a 100m rating. However, this Casio is very modest in cost and I consider the manufactures water resistance rating is very under stated. Sure, if I ruin this watch swimming, the manufacture going to tell me to fly a kite, if I made a warranty claim, but this is a ten dollar watch. If you have ten dollars to wager, like I do, throw caution to the wind or perhaps dive in head first with it. It’s a lot like jaywalking, it’s not recommended, but you not trueing living your life to the fullest if you follow every rule. I sure a G-Shock with 200m water rating is manufacture with more seals and offers better water protection, but I also think that the water resistance rating is partially just marketing to separate Casio’s $10 watches from their $100 watches. I’ve taken this watch in the ocean and dove in swimming pools with no problems. I’d recommend not pressing the buttons when it’s wet, as well as not being a cry baby if you ruin it, but this watch is suitable for swimming in my book. Co-work: Wow, what a risk taker, they must be paying you too much, if you have ten bucks to risk like that. So you say it’s was the smart watch of its time back in the day. What’s so smart about this watch? Casio F-91W Owner: Well for starters, a day-date complication with annual calendar, that only needs to be corrected for leap years. It switches between AM/PM and 24 hour format with a single push of a button. It has a hourly repeater that can be turned on and off. A stopwatch function, and am alarm. Did I mention it has a very dim light, and I believe it was y2k compliant nearly a decade in advance. Co-work: Wow, I think my iwatch can do all that, but I don’t know how to. I also paid a lot more than you, and I can’t take it swimming. How about battery life? Where’s the charger plug? Is it self-winding, like you Seiko 5, and going to die after a few days off your wrist? I know for sure that in 1991 there was no such thing as wireless charging. Casio F-91W Owner: It’s much for low tech then wireless charging, or self-winding. It’s powered by a replaceable battery. Casio claims 7-years on a single battery with no daily recharging required. It’s more likely that the strap will break, before the battery will need to be replaced. It doesn’t need any sunlight either, some people claim to get 10 years on a single battery, it really depends on how frequent the light and alarm functions are utilized. In theory you could hide out in a cave for years without worrying about charging or replacing the battery. Co-work: Hey, one more question. I know you are married, but ascetically speaking, do you think I watch like this would be helpful in attraction women? It’s kind of ugly looking. Casio F-91W Owner: Well my friend, with you ugly face and abrasive personality, if a woman takes the time to look at your watch, she’ll be excited to see a practical watch on your wrist. Well unless she’s a gold digger type, but you don’t need that. Any women that can’t appreciate a classic watch like this doesn’t even desire to go dutch at McDonalds with you. However, for you, I’d strongly recommend the Casio CA53W, if you want a line of highly desirable ladies wanting to go out with you. If you wear a Casio CA53W and a lady starts a conversation about your watch, you’ll need to take her somewhere nice, like a sit-down type restaurant, and pay the whole bill, and she’ll surely want a second date when she see you generously calculate 18% gratuity with your calculator watch. Read more

Patrick Mains

31 de diciembre de 2016

Great Watch with a Classic Design

I had been looking for a relatively cheap digital watch, preferably from Casio, as a simple watch to start the New Year off with. When I searched "casio digital watch" this was about the second product listing, so I knew it had to be a decent watch. I had worn it for a day or two and have since replaced it with the [insert link here]. Here is my review of the Casio F91W-1 and an explanation of why I replaced it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design & Build: For just over $10, this Casio has great build quality and a cool retro design. In fact, the Casio F91W has been produced since 1991 and even has its own Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W) page! The design of the Casio is simple and classic and is probably one of the reasons why this watch is still successful after 25 years! The watch is very thin, - only 8 millimeters - especially for a digital watch, which is about the same thickness as an iPhone 5. The watch face is made of plastic and is not recessed into the body, meaning that while it is flush with the casing it can be scratched easily. The casing of the watch is made of resin which is pretty standard in most digital watches. The band is also made of resin and is comfortable enough for a $10 watch. One complaint that I have about the watches build quality is the material of which the band buckle is made of. The band buckle is made of ordinary black plastic which I can see breaking in a year or two. While I can't vouch for the longevity of this watch, I can almost confidently say that that plastic buckle will be the first part to break. Other than that, the watch features nice easy-to-press buttons which stick out from the watch a millimeter or two. The buttons are very easy to press, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing as they might be pressed accidentally. The top left button activates the display light which is very weak and only lights up from one side of the display, meaning that the left part of the display is kind of bright while the further you get to the right side of the display the light dims drastically. This seems like one of the areas Casio had to cut corners with in order to cut the cost, however, it is only a minor complaint with a $10 watch. The light shines a green light and only turns on while the button is depressed, which is kind of annoying. Digital watches I have owned in the past stayed on for a few seconds, but again, this is only a minor complaint with a $10 watch. Finally, the Casio features water RESISTANCE, not waterproofing, therefore I wouldn't go swimming with it, however, other users have reported diving with it so the decision is ultimately up to you. Overall, the Casio F91W features a simple and timeless design, as well as pretty good build quality for $10. The display light has some issues and the watch is only water resistant, but these things don't matter too much in a $10 watch. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fit: I have around a 6-inch wrist and this watch fit great. I used a hole more towards the end of the band away from the case and it fit comfortably while not being too loose. The watch is very light and once it is on you almost forget it is there. The case is also thin and doesn't add much bulk to your arm. For me, the watch face was a good size proportionate to my wrist. It might have been a little small for my liking but it definitely didn't get in the way. Overall, I am happy with how the F91W fit on my wrist. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall: This watch is a great watch for the price. While I can't vouch for the longevity of this watch, I can say that it features a great design and decent build quality, as well as a good and comfortable fit (at least for my wrists). To conclude, if you have a bit over $10 to spend on a digital watch, you really can't go wrong with the Casio F91W. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pros: - Classic simple design - Decent build quality - Comfortable - Thin and light - Easy-to-press buttons - Good fit for me - Accurate time-keeping (Casio claims that the watch is accurate to ±30 seconds per month due to the quartz movement of the watch) Cons: - Weak plastic band buckle - Easily scratched plastic face - Weak and poorly designed display light - Buttons may get accidentally pressed - Only water resistant --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why I Replaced it: Even though the Casio F91W is a great watch for the money, I decided I wanted something a bit nicer, even if it meant spending a little bit more money. After browsing Amazon for other Casio watches, I came across the G-Shock G100-BV Men's Black Resin Sport Watch. The reason why I replaced the F91W isn't because it isn't a good watch, instead, I replaced it because I wanted something a little nicer with a more rugged design. To conclude, I replaced the F91W not because it wasn't good, but because of personal preference. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you found this review helpful I would appreciate it if you clicked the "helpful" button below this review. Thanks! Read more