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Dump Your Rolex for One of the Best Casio Watches

When is owning a Casio watch an insult? Shakira thought she dissed ex Gerard Piqué with fire in her latest song, “Out of Your League.” Shakira may have thought she was hurting Piqué’s feelings when she sang, “I’m worth two 22’s. You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo. You traded a Rolex for a Casio.”

But that backfired. Piqué proudly showed off his Casio A158WA “Vintage Gent” watch at a press conference.

However, Casio is staying neutral about the breakup. They won’t be sponsoring Piqué’s new Spain Kings League.


Rolex versus Casio

Are Rolexes really that special? Are they really the ne plus ultra of watches? And are Casio watches such a “lifestyle” downgrade? Short answer, nope. Long answer, Rolex does have a reputation for dependability, durability, and timeless style. So does Casio. Rolex has the reputation for being the first watch a finance dudebro buys once he thinks he’s financially okay. As for Casio? Welp, guys who own Blancpain, Patek Phillipe, IWC, or Piaget go bonkers when Casio drops a watch. Seriously, when Casio releases a new watch and it is sold out within five minutes of its release. Rolex can’t do that.

This year is Casio’s 40th anniversary. In the world of watches, this means that Casio, as a watch brand, is a toddler. Age-wise, they may be way younger than Blancpain, who started making watches in the mid-1700s, but quality-wise, their watches are so smartly designed that they stack up nicely against luxury watches like Rolex et al.


Casio watch features

What do you get with every Casio watch?

  • Water resistant to 200 meters/20 bars
  • Shock resistant
  • Most models offer World Time
  • Lightweight
  • Hourly alarms and a maximum of five-alarm settings
  • Hourly time signal
  • Stopwatch features
  • Auto calendar
  • Digital analog and digital display
  • Multi-layered case
  • Stainless steel, resin, or leather straps

You’ll find the above features in Casio watches for under $100. So, Shakira? Ya needed a crappy watch, not a Casio to make fun of Gerard Pique. Getting back to Casio watches. Some are solar-powered, offer Blue Tooth connectivity, and their fitness watches have GPS.

Stack all those features against the entry-level Rolex, the Oyster Perpetual (around $6K), and what would you buy? Getting back to Pique, his watch collection includes Audemars Piguet, Patek Phillipe, IWC, and more.


The best Casio watches to own

As mentioned earlier, this is Casio watches 40th anniversary. Throughout the year, they’ll be releasing handsome watches kicking off shortly. Keep one tab open to the best Casio watches at all times this year so you won’t miss a launch.

Here is a list of the best Casio watches to wear now.

Courtesy of Casio

This is the exact watch that Piquet’s wearing at that infamous press conference. It has a stainless steel band, 36.8mm case, and digital readout. Water resistant, this is one of Casio’s classic and original watch styles. Nicknamed the “vintage” and “gentleman,” this watch has an LED light 1/100-second stopwatch, which is great for athletes. This watch also features a 7-year battery life, daily alarm, auto calendar, and date readouts.

Courtesy of Casio

$240.00

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$208.00 $219.00

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The 2100 series got its nickname due to its octagonal case. Yep, it looks like that AP model. It comes in lots of colors and finishes. Prices for the CasiOak range from $99 for a carbon/resin model to a mix of ion-plated and resin models like this tone. The GM2100G-1A9 has a gold-tone metal bezel and case with a black resin strap. The black dial has gold and black indices, gold hands, and digital and analog displays. It has a screw-back case, is water resistant to 20 bars/200 meters, is shock resistant, and has a mineral glass cover.  The watch also features world time, 31 time zones, a countdown timer, a 1/100-second stopwatch, five daily alarms, an hourly time signal, an auto calendar to 2099, and double LED light.

Splurge on the luxury version of the 2100 series. All metal with a screw back case and made in gleaming stainless steel (yes, case, caseback, and bracelet), this watch with its diagonally shaped case is as shock resistant as any of the watches in the G-Shock line. It can be paired with your phone via Bluetooth tech, is water resistant to 200 meters, and is solar-powered. The dial features an analog/digital display, world time, 38 time zones, auto calendar to 2099, double LED light, stopwatch, five daily alarms, mute button, and is ridiculously good looking.

Courtesy of Casio

$380.00

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$304.00 $380.00

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Solar powered, with multi-band atomic timekeeping, this tough watch is a combination tactical/fitness watch. Perfect for long treks, it has tiny solar panels on the face to keep it powered. Forever. Due to the atomic timekeeping, the watch automatically syncs up around six times daily. Other features include a compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and digital and analog display.
You’ll also be able to keep time in 29 time zones; it has LED, an electronic crown, water resistant to 10 bar/100 meters, an auto calendar to 2099, and a power saving option.

Courtesy of Casio

$228.00 $380.00

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$237.68 $380.00

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First released in Japan and then in Europe, this sexy Chronograph is finally hitting our shores. Inspired by auto racing, this three-hand watch can sync up to your phone, so you’re always on top of things. It has a world time function that lets you select up to 300 time zones using the phone’s app. It has an automatic time that syncs up four times a day. World time for 300 cities, daily alarm settings, target time indicator, stopwatch, phone finder, date complication, and water resistance to 100 meters.

Courtesy of Casio

$99.00

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$68.00 $99.00 31% off

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Retro cool meets streetwear style with the 5600 series watches. Each watch in this collection has a touch of camo. These durable unisex watches feature the words G-SHOCK PROTECTION on the bezel. Both the case and strap use durable resin. A camouflage print highlights the digital dial. Water resistant to 200 meters, this watch can be worn at the gym or any outdoor workout. It has an electro-luminescent backlight, flashes with a buzzer for alarms and hourly time signals, auto calendar to 2099, countdown timer. Because it’s digital, aside from regular timekeeping, you have month, date, and day readouts. This watch also comes in other colors.

Courtesy of Casio

$84.95

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$72,24 $89.00

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Holy moly, here is a working chronograph at a reasonable price. Wear it as a dress or sport watch; either way, this handsome watch will look like it belongs. This analog watch has a stainless steel bracelet and case, and the bezel doubles as a slide rule. Like all chronographs, there are three subdials: hours, minutes, and seconds. The watch is water resistant to 5 bars/50 meters, has a mineral glass screw lock back, and the battery should last approximately two years.

First debuting in 1988, this retro cool watch features a working calculator. The original CA53W can be spotted in “Back to the Future Part II” and “Back to the Future Part III.” This resin watch comes in five colors and has a digital readout. It offers dual time, digital month, date/day display, daily alarm, and an auto calendar to 2099.

Courtesy of Casio

$150.00

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This is the latest edition of Casio’s smartwatch collection. This limited edition comes boxed with its own charging ban. Designed to optimize your workouts, it has a training program that can be modified for your needs. It tracks training too. Link it to your phone via the app, and you can monitor your laps, calories burned, pace, and more. It has a super illuminator LED backlight, digital display, water resistance to 20 bars/200 meters, and shock resistance.

Courtesy of Casio

This bright school bus yellow digital watch is part of Casio’s 90s Sporty Collection. Based on the G-Shock DW001, this watch is part of a three-piece collection whose ancestor was released in 1994. Like all G-Shocks, it’s water resistant 200 meters, shock resistant, and has a resin band and case. This eye-catching watch also has an electro-luminescent backlight with an afterglow, stopwatch, countdown timer, and flash alert—the digital display shows date, day, hour, minutes, and seconds.

PJ Gach

Contributor

PJ Gach is a nationally recognized style expert. PJ has been profiled in U.S. publications like Bella New York City Magazine, LHJ, The Gloss, and in the UK by The Daily Mail, Mrs D Daily, and The…