Casio Edifice Automatic Review: Casio Adds Smaller Case Size To First Mechanical Collection

When you think of Casio, the first thing that comes to mind is likely digital or quartz watches with a nostalgic bend. But in 2025, the brand that’s been synonymous with accessible quartz pieces from its inception made a move that subverted all expectations. Yep, Casio dropped its first-ever automatic mechanical watch. Now that we’ve had a bit of time to process the initial shock of that, with a clearer head, I’m going to walk you through how we got here, what Casio’s first foray into automatic timekeeping has to offer (and what details left more to be desired), and some ponderings on the Casio Edifice automatic represents for both the brand and the watch industry at large, down below.

Casio has a somewhat oddball history in the context of watchmaking, especially when held up against the typical Swiss-oriented legacies. Founded in Tokyo in 1946, the company had nothing to do with watches at the start. Instead, it began in the electronics and manufacturing industry, making tiny components for devices and other objects. Its first big design success was actually a metal cigarette holder ring dubbed the “Yubiwa Pipe,” which allowed its user to not only use their hands while smoking, but also easily smoke their cigarettes right up to their base (cigarettes were in short supply in the Post-WWII years). The funds generated from this ring pipe were invested towards Casio’s next big hit, the world’s first all-electronic compact calculator: the Casio 14-A, which made its debut in 1957. To put it mildly, this is a moment that changed everything. 

In 1974, when the so-called Quartz Crisis was already sending shockwaves through the watchmaking establishment, Casio decided it was time to take its electronics know-how and apply it to its own timekeeping product. The first Casio watch, aptly named the Casiotron QW02, used the advent of quartz to its advantage. It was from this very first watch that Casio honed in on a technology-first approach to watchmaking. The first Casiotron put its emphasis on practicality and functionality, opting for the easy reading of a digital display, the accuracy of quartz, packed with an automatic calendar only needing to be adjusted once a year to account for leap years. It’s important to note that in the early 1970s, LCD and Quartz technology were still relatively expensive to produce, so the Casiotron was not positioned in the entry-level price tier we associate with the brand today. The affordable, mass-market appeal of Casio would be established in the 1980s, when the brand upped its production scale, the technology became dramatically cheaper to make, and Casio began introducing Resin-cased watches, like the iconic Calculator watches, and added the sub-brand G-SHOCK to its repertoire. 

Here in the 21st century, Casio has maintained that technology and functionality-first design ethos. We’ve seen the brand become a leader in adopting atomic timekeeping and solar-powered quartz modules, expand on the rugged toughness and impressive suite of functions, and have a catalog that ranges from entry-level, accessibly-priced digital watches to pieces that are tactical and made to take a beating. This mix of approachability and dynamic range is what so many people love about the brand. So, when Casio flipped the script with its automatic mechanical Edifice EFK-100 series, it was only natural for some enthusiasts out there to feel resistance towards this change, more comfortable with the brand staying in its well-defined lane rather than taking what some see as an unnecessary detour down another path.

New Casio Edifice EFK-110 Series with Blue Dial

In spite of some initial pushback, Casio has continued to push boldly forward in this new mechanical direction. Not even one full year after news of the EFK-100 series hit, Casio has already launched an update on the series with a trio of EFK-110 models – and it isn’t so simple as new colors or materials, either.

One thing to note about the Casio Edifice Automatic is that it's positioned within the brand’s Edifice collection. Since launching in the early 2000s, Casio has defined its Edifice line as “analog performance” oriented. Traditionally, this collection has had a motorsports bend, and it's a primary vehicle for the brand to push past the digital display pieces we typically think of when the Casio name is thrown around, opting instead for analog and ana-digi timepieces. Despite, quite obviously, not being a chronograph, this mechanical take on the line, according to the brand, ties in the motorsports-inspired roots instead through design, materials, and details. Stylistically, I would place Casio’s first automatic watches in the everyday carry category.

EFK-100 Series

Officially launched in July of 2025, the EFK-100 series debuted with three distinct models. Across the board, we’re working within the language of integrated sports watches. On paper, the EFK-100 series was already quite compelling. Measuring 39mm in diameter with a 43.5mm and 12.5mm lug-to-lug, these watches promised to be quite the versatile wear for a pretty wide range of wrist sizes. There was a lot to admire here about the case architecture and the variation of finishing techniques, which range from the brightly polished round bezel to the brushed finishes of the angular case and bracelet – and that has not gone away with the most recent update. Speaking of the bracelet, we’re working with an H-Link bracelet with a push-button clasp. Each of the links could be removed, and there were some microadjustment capabilities on that clasp, but both of these details had room for improvement in getting the fit just right. Also, tying back into the sports-watch factor, this piece is water resistant 100 meters.

EFK-110 Series

For its latest revamp in the automatic lineup, the design language hasn’t undergone a dramatic change. The real story here is a switch-up in the movement working within, but there have been some remixes in the case proportions to accompany that evolution. The diameter has been slimmed down by 1mm to 38mm, but the most significant change is the case profile. Now, the EFK-110 series has been slimmed to a svelte 11.8mm, which is 0.7mm thinner than its predecessor. The lug-to-lug is now 0.5mm shorter at 43mm. I personally tend to think the thinner the better when it comes to overall case profile, especially for watches of the integrated bracelet variety, so I think this evolution will only make the wearing experience feel more sleek and refined in the positive direction. As far as the bracelet goes, there have not been any significant updates, so all that I mentioned in the section above is still at play. We haven’t lost any robustness in the water resistance either, and the EFK-110 stands at 100 meters. 

A far cry from some of the outrageous business that can be found across earlier pieces in the Edifice collection, the automatic mechanical extensions of the series instead have opted for streamlined minimalism. The real novelty of these new Casio ventures is the automatic movements within, so the restraint dial-side is quite fitting. But that doesn’t mean that these watches are a snooze.

EFK-100 Series

Functionally speaking, this is a simple three-hander with an added date window above six o’clock and a recessed minutes track around the perimeter. The hours are marked with applied indices that mimic the brushing of the case, luminous sword hands, and, as a premium touch, we also have a sapphire crystal protecting the dial. Please note that there isn’t any anti-reflective coating on the crystal, so it's something to be aware of if that bothers you.

The EFK-100 series, as it stands, features a richly textured dial across the board, though there are some model-specific differences to note. The three original models debuted in dark blue, white, and a black model with an actual forged carbon fiber composite dial. Though the blue and white models aren’t made with forged carbon, the finish of the blue and white models is intended to call to the variation in surface texture that’s a calling card of the premium material. 

EFK-110 Series

Dial side, you won’t find any off-the-wall meddling with the design established in the previous series. The overall proportionality has been fussed with to reflect the change in case dimensions, of course. But the real standout change is the date window placement, which is another detail that reflects the shift in the movement within. Instead of the previously established six o’clock placement, the window has been moved to the more common three o’clock position.

The backdrop is still white across all three color options – silver, black, and blue – which I think looks particularly well-suited to the silver model. Additionally, it appears Casio has decided not to carry on the forged carbon dial for the black model, as it is detailed by the brand to be formed from the same electroplating techniques as the other models.  Again, whichever dial color you choose, you’ve got a sapphire crystal to protect it, but it does not seem Casio has added any AR coating this time around, either.

EFK-100 Series

For its first automatic mechanical watch, Casio has equipped the line with the Seiko NH35A automatic caliber. This movement does not exactly amaze with its accuracy rating, which the brand cites as –35/+45 seconds per day (though Seiko rates its own movement slightly more accurate at –20 to +40 seconds per day). This caliber has a power reserve of 40 hours, has manual winding and hacking capabilities, and a frequency of 3 Hz. Though I wouldn’t call it the most sophisticatedly decorated movement out there, it is on display through the exhibition caseback, which is in mineral glass.

EFK-110 Series

Now, we’ve finally arrived at the most significant source of this update. Casting the NH35A caliber aside, Casio has made the pivot to the Japanese-made Miyota 8215. In terms of accuracy and power reserve, these two movements are remarkably similar. Another workhorse movement, the Miyota 8215 runs on 21 jewels, a 42-hour power reserve, and a -20/+40 seconds per day accuracy rating. But the real payoff in the movement change is felt in the overall wrist presence, given that it allowed the profile to be shaved off by a pretty significant amount of real estate. One tradeoff that comes with this remix is that the Miyota 8215 has a reputation of being a slightly “louder” movement, so you might hear a bit of mechanical whirring going on.

Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-100 Series

No matter the gripes people had about Casio’s big pivot into automatic mechanical territory, I think so far, we can only call this adventure a success. The EFK-100 series quite quickly sold out on Casio’s website after its launch, proving that the demand was, in fact, there. Given the rapidity of the release of the follow-up EFK-110 series, we can assume that the brand is taking this interest and running with it, ready to revise and remix at will with time. So far, I think you would have to have both renditions of the series in each hand to really get a handle on the differences. 

New Casio Edifice Automatic EFK-110 Series

Aesthetics aside, the entire Casio Edifice automatic lineup really packs a punch in the value department. The initial series debuted at $280-$300, and, though the official US pricing is not available yet on the official Casio website, there have not been any hikes in price reported yet. The EFK-110 series is not available for purchase yet here stateside, and for more information, you can head here.