15 Classic Casio Watches from Under $25 to Over $1,500

When watch enthusiasts think of Casio, most think first and foremost about G-Shock, the undisputed flagship of the Japanese brand's timepiece lineup and the model that put Casio, a multinational tech giant known primarily for calculators, digital cameras, and electronic musical keyboards, on the map as a watchmaker. (G-Shock has in recent years become so dominant that it now identifies as its own brand, separate from other Casio-branded watches, with its own distinctive design language and sub-families; we list the most notable G-Shock watches here.) But throughout its relatively short history of watchmaking, which began in 1974, Casio has released other very memorable watches, several of which became not only commercially successful (particularly in the 1980s, the heyday of digital watches) but also pop-culture touchstones to their era. Here we list 15 noteworthy Casio watches and make the case for their classic status; you will find some G-Shocks here, because any list of classic Casio watches would be incomplete without them. But you'll also discover a few modern models from Casio watch series you may be less familiar with, as well as some that you may find familiar from movies and TV. You'll also find that nearly all the watches on the list, arranged in ascending order of price, will cost much less than you might expect. 

Casio F91W Digital Sport Watch

Price: $22.95, Case Size: 38.2mm x 35.2mm, Case Height: 8.5mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water resistant, Movement: Solar Quartz Digital

A somewhat prototypical predecessor to the famous G-Shock, Casio’s ubiquitous F91W was released in 1989 and at one point was the most sold watch in the world, at 3 million units produced annually. It still speaks to legions of fans with its rectangular resin case, multifunctional digital display face, and ribbed, waterproof resin strap. The watch’s three buttons operate a 1/1000-second digital chronograph with split times, alarms and time signals, and auto calendar functions, along with an illuminating night light. Pressing the button on the right side of the lightweight case for five seconds brings up the model’s anti-counterfeit “Easter Egg:” the name “CASI0” briefly appearing on the screen in digital text.

Casio Digital F105W-1A “Illuminator”

Price: $22.95, Case Size: 39mm x 35.4mm, Case Height: 9.6mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water resistant, Movement: Quartz Digital

Similar in design to the F91W highlighted above, the F105W has a somewhat larger LCD display with smaller but thicker digital numerals, a slightly heavier case (27 grams as opposed to 20 grams for the F91W), and most notably, a brighter, aqua-tinted electro-luminescent backlight, which the watch proudly proclaims with the prominent word “Illuminator” directly above the main LCD display. (Casio developed the Illuminator system, it is widely believed among enthusiasts, in response to rival Timex's launch of its IndiGlo dial-illumination treatment.) The case and its very flexible bracelet are made from durable black resin, making for a cool contrast with the aqua-blue backlight when it is activated on demand via the convenient push-buttons. Functionally, the Illuminator offers much of the same array of capabilities as the F91W, including alarms, chronograph, and a full auto calendar.

Casio Digital LA20WH-1C

Price: $22.95, Case Size: 34.5mm x 30.4mm, Case Height: 8.6mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: “Splash-resistant”, Movement: Quartz Digital

With a resin case measuring just over 34mm by 30mm, the LA20WH “Casio Pop” series has been described as both a ladies model and a “kid-friendly” watch. It features the same array of functions as its big brothers, including the stopwatch, timekeeping in both 12-hour and 24-hour format, alarms, and full auto calendar, in a very wearable and more compact package that also has the “Illuminator” backlight. In addition to the classic black resin case and strap, the model offers additional color options including a very ladylike pink — like Barbie would wear if she worked in a computer lab.

Casio CA53W Black Data Bank Watch

Price: $29.95, Case Size: 43.2mm x 34.4mm, Case Height: 8.2mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water-Resistant, Movement: Quartz Digital

A touchstone of the digital-driven 1980s more popularly known as the Calculator Watch, the CA53W found its way back into the pop cultural conversation in recent years when it was worn by Bryan Cranston as chemistry teacher-turned-drug-kingpin Walter White in the TV series Breaking Bad. The watch remains a cult classic with retro nerd appeal, its defining feature being the eight-digit calculator function that enables addition, subtraction, multiplication and division operations right on the tiny LCD screen. Its rectangular black resin case with reticulated strap resists water pressure to 50 meters. With its black miniaturized keyboard, the watch’s front face calls to mind early cell phones and Blackberries — appropriate, as this humble Casio model, with its range of functions that include stopwatches, multiple time zones, and alarms in addition to the calculator, anticipated the rise of the smartphone and, eventually, the smartwatch.

Casio AE1200 Worldtimer 

Price: $29.95, Case Size: 34.5mm x 30.4mm, Case Height: 12.5mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Movement: Quartz Digital

Oddly nicknamed the “Casio Royale” because it resembles a Seiko digital watch worn in a James Bond movie (actually Octopussy, not Casino Royale; go figure), this distinctively styled LCD watch has a 100-meter water resistance and 10-year battery life — not as tough as a G-Shock but still rugged. Its square case’s four function buttons, one in each corner, control the array of functions displayed on its sectored dial, including the analog clock in the upper left, a digital display of the time, day, and date in the bottom half, and the signature feature that gives the model its nickname, the digital representation of a world map that can be set to track the time in other time zones; these are in addition to the chronographs, alarms, and button-operated illumination that bathes the display in bright yellow, enhancing the wrist-computer vibe.

Casio Vintage A171WE-1A

Price: $35.95, Case Size: 38.8mm x 37.7mm, Case Height: 9.2mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: 30 meters, Movement: Quartz Digital

Casio watches are usually recognizable for their square and rectangular shapes, but with the A171WE from the growing Vintage series, the Japanese brand applies its familiar LCD digital time display to a more conventional round case. The resin case has a glossy metallic coating and flows into a steel five-link bracelet with a slightly more matte finish. The LCD display is clean and illuminates in blue-green via the button-operated backlight, albeit not as brightly as the “Illuminator” models. The four pushers for setting and for displaying additional functions — i.e. the alarms, chronograph lap times, and calendar indications — are positioned at angles around the circular case, making for a good symmetrical aesthetic while still calling to mind the straighter lines of other Casio digital models.

Casio Vintage AQ800E-7A

Price: $55.95, Case Size: 40.7mm x 32.1mm, Case Height: 8.7mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water resistant, Movement: Quartz Analog-Digital

This retro-look timepiece stands out from its contemporaries with its idiosyncratic combination of analog and digital displays. The former comes via a square-framed traditional dial with baton hands and indexes over an architectural-inspired grid pattern; the latter, below the main dial in a rectangular LCD window. The angular case, made of chrome-plated resin, integrates comfortably into a steel bracelet with straight links. Small push-buttons on the left side of the case control the settings and the various operations performed on the LCD screen, which include a stopwatch, alarms and hourly signals, an automatic calendar, and dual-time and world time indicators.

Casio A100WE

Price: $59.95, Case Size: 40.7mm x 32.7mm, Case Height: 9.2mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water-Resistant, Movement: Quartz Digital

Another Casio with pop culture provenance from the Vintage series, the A100, is based on the earlier F-100 models introduced in 1978. Sigourney Weaver wore one in her lead role in the movie Alien, which hit cinema screens one year later (the same year, ironically, that the model was discontinued). The modern version pays tribute to this predecessor, the first Casio watch with a resin case, while adding some modern elements, including metallic components replacing some of the original’s resin ones. The four-button mini-dashboard under the main LCD time display, a hallmark of the F-100, is retained in the newer model, which packs the expected array of useful displays, from stopwatch to alarms to button-operated LED light. 

Casio Vintage Gold A168GW-9VT

Price: $65, Reference: A168GW-9VT, Case Size: 38.6mm x 36.3mm, Case Height: 9.6mm, Crystal: Resin Glass, Water Resistance: Water-Resistant, Movement: Quartz Digital

Also hailing from the Vintage series, and perhaps the brand’s most “expensive-looking” digital option, is the gold-toned A168W-9VT model, with a rectangular resin case, a stainless steel bracelet, and an electro-luminescent backlit display screen. The watch features an array of useful functions including a 1/100-second stopwatch with elapsed times and split times, daily alarms, hourly time signals, an auto-calendar, and timekeeping options in both 12-hour and 24-hour format. The battery powers the high-accuracy quartz movement for seven years, and the gold-plated link bracelet adds an appealing hint of luxury to this retro-styled timepiece.

Casio G-Shock DW9052

Price: $69.95, Reference: DW9052-1B, Case Size: 48.5mm x 43, Case Height: 14.7mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Movement: Quartz Digital

Since its landmark release in 1983, the G-Shock has represented perhaps the watch world’s purest expression of high technology blended with trendsetting style at a price accessible to just about everyone. G-Shocks have long been go-to gear for military and law enforcement operators, and the DW9052-1B, released in 2002, is a large reason why. It’s not only tough, multifunctional, and dirt-cheap; it has for many years been standard issue at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, Florida, assigned to divers along with their fins, masks, and knives. Built to be virtually indestructible, the watch’s array of military-grade functionalities include a backlight, 200 meters of water resistance, a 1/100-second stopwatch, alarms, a full auto calendar, and both 12-and 24-hour timekeeping.

Casio Data Bank DBC32-1A

Price: $74.95, Case Size: 50.4mm x 37.4mm, Case Height: 12mm, Crystal: Resin glass, Water Resistance: Water-Resistant, Movement: Quartz Digital

Among the most sophisticated “calculator watches” originally produced by Casio in the 1980s, the Data Bank DBC32-1A  lives up to its high-tech name with its ability to store information — like phone numbers and addresses up to 25 total contacts — in its electronic memory in the manner of a very primitive smartwatch. It boasts the same calculator functions (and the same black resin case) as the CA53W described above, along with that model’s whole range of additional functions, but its calculator buttons are easier to press than those of its predecessor, adding appeal for those wearers who actually want to use the wrist calculator while they’re wearing it. The 10-year battery life and the bright “Illuminator” backlight also elevates this model above the rest of Casio’s tech-nerd favorites.

Casio G-Shock DW5600

Price: $99, Case Size: 42.8mm, Case Height: 13.4 mm, Lug to Lug: 48.9mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Movement: Solar Quartz Digital

The DW5600 is the granddaddy of all G-Shocks. Its rectangular-cased, digital-display design has been a mainstay since its early '80s release and, with its black resin case, was an early forerunner of the black-on-black trend that would take a firm hold on the luxury end of the watch world years later. The classic gray field of this model’s LCD dial frames the compact readout of time, date, and running seconds. Like most all watches in G-Shock’s extensive DW5600 family, its durable resin case boasts a 200-meter water resistance and its digital functions include a 1/100-second stopwatch, countdown timer, multi-function alarm, a full calendar accurate to 2099, and an electro-luminescent backlight with afterglow.

Casio G-Shock GA2110ET “Casi-Oak”

Price: $110, Case Size: 48.5mm x 45.4mm, Thickness: 11.8mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Quartz Analog

Bearing design elements that call to mind the famous Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet (hence the nickname), the G-Shock GA2110ET models, released in 2019, speak both to G-Shock enthusiasts and to knowledgeable, traditionalist fans of luxury watches who appreciate an affordable “homage” for the wrist. Now encompassing a variety of colors, with resin (and a few stainless steel) cases built in Casio’s Carbon Core Guard structure, the GA-2100 models sport an analog-digital display that covers the whole gamut of G-Shock functions, from stopwatch to alarms to full auto calendar to double LED lighting. Another useful feature: the built-in “hand shift” that moves the analog hands when they’re obstructing the digital readouts.

Casio Edifice EQB600D-1AZ World Timer

Price: $400, Case Size: 51.9mm x 47.3mm, Case Height: 13.3mm, Water Resistance: 100 meters, Crystal: Mineral, Movement: Quartz, solar-powered

While not as well known as the ubiquitous G-Shock, Casio’s Edifice collection offers complex analog timepieces with a high-tech, motorsport-inspired design aesthetic. The quartz movements are solar-powered and drive the Edifice’s multitude of functions, including a 1/10-second chronograph, a 24-hour indication, a date display, and a battery life indicator that lets the wearer know it’s time to recharge the watch. One of the standout models, the Edifice EQB-600D-1AZ World Timer pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth to access the correct time in its current location and in more than 300 cities worldwide. A daily-rotating 3D globe, surrounded by a day-night ring, indicates a second time zone with the aid of a small hand; the time in that time zone appears in analog format on a subdial between 7 and 8 o’clock. The wearer can swap between home time and the second time zone with a push-button. The solar-powered watch, which will run for seven months after a full charge, even has a phone-finder feature once it’s connected to a smartwatch.

Casio Oceanus Manta S600 Titanium

Price: $1,800, Case Size: 47.1mm x 42.5mm, Thickness: 8.7mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 100m, Movement: Quartz Analog

Occupying the highest echelon of both price and luxury detailing is Casio’s Oceanus line, which debuted in 2004 and is still largely limited to the Japanese market. Oceanus watches are now entirely analog (after the first generation’s analog-digital design) and powered by a quartz movement equipped with all of Casio’s modern high-tech capabilities, including Multi-Band 6 radio wave reception for accurate timekeeping anywhere in the world and Bluetooth connectivity with smartphones. The Manta series is notable for its use of titanium, a rare material in Casio’s lineup outside of the priciest and most exclusive G-Shocks. This model’s case has a silvery sheen that screams “luxury” and a 24-point faceted bezel made of sapphire, in a brilliant blue color that resonates with the tricompax dial, whose blue-to-black gradation is achieved by a multi-step vaporization process.