The $15 Casio That Lasts Decades and Never Needs Replacing

The €15 Casio That Survives Everything and Never Needs Replacing

A watch costing between €10 and €20, lasting 14 years on its original battery, having endured sea and sand without a scratch, and requiring no adjustment even for daylight saving time changes. This is what those who have worn a Casio for decades claim, in contrast to those who argue that a watch should serve as an accessory rather than just tell the time. The debate, sparked by the arrival of a new model, leads to a more uncomfortable question: Why pay hundreds or thousands of euros for something a €15 watch does better?

The Watch That Doesn’t Need Adjusting Even When Clocks Change

There is a recurring scene in these conversations: someone decides to postpone adjusting their watch for daylight saving time until the next day. Then the day after that. After three months, they conclude it’s not worth the effort. I never changed it again, summarizes one participant. The basic Casio version requires no adjustments, needs no charging, and connects to nothing. It simply tells the time. And for many people, that is exactly what is expected from a watch.

The list of attributed virtues is long and specific: they last years without changing the battery, are virtually unbreakable if dropped, antiestéticature visible LCD screens, are water-resistant, include a backlight for night viewing, cost little, and go unnoticed on the street. One specific model has lasted 14 years on its factory battery, having been in the sea and sand every month without even the strap breaking. Another user owns four units: the F91W, the Illuminator, the F59W, and the F756.

The economic argument carries the most weight. Compared to a €4,000 Swiss automatic watch that must be kept in a winder box to prevent stopping, a €15 Casio can be taken to construction sites, hit against things, and remain functional. An F91 with a Velcro strap is nearly indestructible on job sites, claims someone who has tested it. The implicit question is why a smartwatch cannot withstand such conditions.

The Watch as Accessory: When Aesthetics Rule

Not everyone shares this enthusiasm. The most repeated criticism is aesthetic: What an ugly thing, says one participant about a G-Shock Frogman. It was fine for going to high school in 1982, he adds, but today it doesn't look stylish. Another concludes: On an adult man's wrist, it looks like a child's watch.

The response comes with sarcasm: It may not look stylish, but it tells the time perfectly. Spoiler: It’s a watch, not a piece of clothing. The discussion then shifts toward smartwatches. Those defending traditional Swiss watches acknowledge that if function is paramount, the smartwatch wins. But they add a nuance: Military personnel use them constantly, and apparently, they endure everything. The counterargument trinc immediately: Military personnel should arguably be the first ones not using smartwatches or smartphones.

If there is any consensus, it is that a work watch cannot be a €4,000 Tudor. For construction sites, a €15 Casio with a Velcro strap; for formal occasions, something else. The coexistence of both worlds explains why many accumulate several models and swap them according to the occasion.

From Frogman to Oceanus: The Parade of Models

The conversation turns into a parade of models. Appearances include the GWF-A1000C-1AER Frogman, the G-Shock G-5600E with module 3160 and solar battery, the green G-Shock 8000, the F91W, the Gulfman with 14 years of battery life, the Pro Trek PRG 330 for hiking, the GA 2100 with refined finishes, the solar-powered GWM5610PC-1 without batteries for Mad Max, the GW-056E-4V awaiting a MIP screen with solar charging, tides, and moon phase for under €150, and the Oceanus T150, which someone crowns as the best Casio.

Some boast of gold-plated models, while others admit to owning a "poor man's" watch where they replaced the rubber strap with fabric. The price range is enormous: from €10 or €20 for a basic model to €129 for a specific edition that seems like a rip-off to skeptics, although they admit it looks cool. Someone notes that the brand was the first to make handheld calculators and remains always undervalued.

The Hidden Chronograph and Other Technical Complaints

Not everything is praise. One user details a specific problem with the GA 2100: the chronograph is in a small window mostly covered by the hands, there is a button combination to free them but it is cumbersome, and in chronograph mode, minutes appear much smaller than seconds. That was precisely what I used the watch for most, he laments. The criticism is not aesthetic; it is about functional design.

Another recurring complaint is size. The G-5600E is a bit chunky, admits one wearer. The GA 2100, however, is considered less oversized than typical models of this kind, which is appreciated on narrow wrists. The implicit conclusion is that not all Casios fit all wrists, and the fruta for indestructibility does not exempt buyers from carefully checking the model before purchase.

The Reviving Battery and the Time-Telling Watch

Among the phenomena discussed with curiosity are watches that, with a dead battery, seem to momentarily revive when pressed. Someone asks for physics studies explaining why this happens, similar to hitting a remote control to get a few more button presses. There is no technical answer in the conversation, only the observation that it occurs.

The discussion never truly closes. Some will continue buying Casios for price and durability; others will keep paying thousands for a Swiss watch that must be kept moving. The underlying question—whether a watch should tell the time or say something about the wearer—remains exactly where it started. Meanwhile, the €15 watch continues to work.