Hey there! Forget all the reviews you've seen about this Casio F-91W watch. Let me tell you a story about a conversation I had with a coworker the other day.
Coworker: What's that tiny, cheap-looking thing on your wrist? Did your kid lend it to you? Seriously, I thought you were a watch guy who hates digital displays!
Me: It's a Casio F-91W, and no, it's mine (though my son does borrow it sometimes). I usually go for fancy watches with mechanical movements, but hey, I needed something affordable for my beach vacation. Plus, once I figured out the display (hours on the left, minutes on the right, seconds on the tiny numbers), it's actually easier to read than some of my analog watches.
Coworker: But this doesn't fit in with your collection! You have Seikos, Orients, even a fancy Citizen. Why this little guy?
Me: Exactly! This watch is a classic. It came out way back in 1991 and was like the smartwatch of its time. Plus, the price is unbeatable. It's perfect for the beach – proven technology that's been around for decades and practically indestructible.
Coworker: Wait, isn't WR just for splashes? Shouldn't a swim watch have a higher rating, like 50m or 100m?
Me: You're right, and wrong. Technically, you need a higher rating for swimming. But honestly, I wouldn't take any of my expensive watches swimming even if they have a good rating. This Casio is cheap, and I think the water resistance is actually underrated. Sure, ruining it might void the warranty, but hey, it's a ten-dollar watch! It's like jaywalking – not recommended, but living by every rule isn't always fun. I've taken this thing in the ocean and pools with no problems. Just avoid pushing buttons underwater and don't cry if you break it – for ten bucks, it's a good swimming companion in my book.
Coworker: Wow, you're a risk taker! So, what's so "smart" about this watch from back in the day?
Me: Well, it's got a day-date function, switches between AM/PM and 24-hour time, an alarm, a stopwatch, and even a light (pretty dim, but hey, it was way ahead of its time!).
Coworker: Sounds like my fancy smartwatch, but way less expensive and actually works in the water! How about the battery? Does it need a charger or something?
Me: Low-tech here! It runs on a single battery that supposedly lasts 7 years. The strap will probably break before the battery dies! Some people even say they get 10 years on one battery. Basically, you could disappear into a cave and not worry about charging it for ages.
Coworker: Last question (and between you and me): is this watch going to attract women? It's not exactly… stylish.
Me: Look, with your personality, if a woman even notices your watch, she'll be happy to see something practical on your wrist. Unless she's a gold digger, of course. But hey, if a woman can't appreciate a classic like this, she wouldn't even go Dutch on a McDonald's meal with you. Now, if you want a watch that attracts ladies, I wouldn't recommend this one. But hey, if you get a Casio CA53W, and a woman starts talking about your watch – that's your cue to take her to a fancy restaurant, pay the whole bill (and maybe even use the calculator function to show off your generosity), and score yourself a second date!.
Basic Information
- Case size (L× W× H): 38.2 × 35.2 × 8.5 mm
- Weight: 21 g
- Case and bezel material: Resin
- Band: Resin Band
- Water resistance: Water Resistant
- Power supply and battery life: Approx. battery life: 7 years on CR2016
Exterior
Glass: Resin Glass
Watch Features
Stopwatch:
1/100-second stopwatch
Measuring capacity: 59'59.99"
Measuring modes: Net time, split time, 1st-2nd place times
Alarm/hourly time signal:
Daily alarm
Hourly time signal
Light:
LED light
Calendar:
Auto-calendar (set at 28 days for February)
Accuracy:
Accuracy: ±30 seconds per month
Other features:
12/24-hour format
Regular timekeeping:
Hour, minute, second, pm, date, day
See What Others Are Saying
Unbeatable value and quality
Reviewed by : M. Sharp
This watch is perfect. It is super compact, super durable, super simple, and it costs as much as a fast food meal. It is the most sold non smart watch ever. If you need a watch and don’t need it to connect to your phone, there is literally no reason to buy any other watch, unless you are one of those weirdos that are obsessed with how watches look. It is also super intuitive and easy to use, and the alarm function works great as well. It has 7 years of battery life, which, at a $20 price point is less than one cent per day to always know the time, have a stopwatch, and have an alarm. At night, the light works great, and during the day, it is easily readable. I’ve already bought this watch twice, and I just got it again for an upcoming trip where I won’t have my phone. However, I’ve realized that having a watch is just better. Instead of fishing around in your pocket and getting sucked into YouTube, you can just glance at your wrist. Smart watches are dumb and gimmicky. Dumb watches are the way to go, and this is the best dumb watch out there. And if you are even considering buying an analog watch I genuinely don’t know how to help you. Can your analog watch set timers, have a 24 hour clock, have a stopwatch, or be super precise? I didn’t think so. And this watch is waterproof too.
Great for what it is
Reviewed by : Cal
A simple and cheap yet reliable and effective watch. What more could you ask for. Very easy to work and adjust with the different settings. Very small and lightweight as well.
The light isn’t very bright but then again it gets the job done with letting you see the time at night.
Sleek, lightweight, utilitarian watch.
Reviewed by : Houston Watson
I have never really been a watch guy, and especially am not into smartwatches. But I decided to try another watch out and decided on the Casio F-91W based on reviews. I was not disappointed. Immediately I noticed it is a very lightweight watch, which to me is a plus. It's very slim too, and has a low profile. Again, I like this. The strap is comfortable. I enjoy the subdued colors—my favorite color is blue—so the black with blue outline is perfect. Goes with anything. The buttons and setup are very intuitive, I didn't look at any instructions and figured out how to set time and do stuff with it very quickly. The water resistance is good enough to where it won't break when washing dishes, but as the manufacturer says, you shouldn't submerge it or act as if it's water *proof.* Only downside to this watch, as others have mentioned, is the extremely dim light. It sucks. But honestly for $11 (I got it on sale), I can hardly complain. Overall a really nice watch, perfect for someone who just wants a comfortable piece that tells the time and looks decent.
Simple Elegance
Reviewed by : JK
I've been collecting and loving watches for decades; I do have a gold Rolex, a gold Girard-Perregaux, a Breitling, a gold Longines, etc. Also own several G-Shocks. But I really love the simplicity of this watch, with no distracting LCD's or other junk to distract from its function: to show the time and date. I've been wearing this little watch for around a month now, daily. The only possible drawback I see is if a guy has large wrists and forearms, the band might be small. I don't like dinner plate-sized watches and like the discreet appearance, not distracting. Because it doesn't have the armoring that the G-Shocks have it's actually easier to read at a glance--again, without extraneous displays. Its extremely low price makes it a fantastic buy. I could see this easily being a great choice for a boy's first 'good' watch. Highly recommended, and accurate to boot.
Like the watch, hate the casing (and the band)
Reviewed by : R. Schoonover
The watch itself does its job quite well. LIght isn't that great, but the buttons to set the time are easy to find and functionally quite good. However, the rest of the casing and the watchband leave much to be desired -- it seems here is where Casio goes overly cheap.
For starters, the watch band is not quite large enough for my wrist. Ok, I'm a full grown male human and this watch may have been designed as a starter watch for a young person. But that's why I wanted it - simple design to do one thing well. And I have replacement watch bands, but that's where Casio got, in my opinion, too cheap.
Instead of the spring-loaded hinge pins found on most wristwatches, on this item the watchband is mounted to the watch casing using simple straight pins. Not replaceable, as the only way to remove them I coulld figure out was to bend them with needle-nose pliers, after sawing off the watchband pieces with a hacksaw.
So the watch itself is quite good for what it's supposed to do, but check that the intended recipient's wrist measures 7.5" or less. For myself I managed to mount my all-time favorite watchband on it using paper clips, but I wouldn't suggest that for most people