Casio A158W Review | Best Cheap Digital Watch For Men?
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This is my favourite watch. It’s the one I wear every day. A cheap, simple mass-produced digital watch from China…which sounds odd. I’ve owned so many higher quality watches than this over the past few years, what stands out about this one?
The Casio A158W is essentially the metallic brother to the legendary Casio F-91W, one of the most popular watches in the world. I previously reviewed that watch, and there will obviously be many similarities here. This Casio F91W alternative is another low-cost bargain, which has been around for many years and may, in fact, be the preferable choice for a lot of people.
Price
As with other great value Casio watches, this one comes in at an astonishingly low price. Despite being internally identical to the F91, the Casio steel case watch does cost slightly more, likely due to the addition of a stainless-steel bracelet. Normally, you can expect to pay around £15-£20 for the regular metallic version. As with the Casio F91W, this really places it in a price range that’s accessible to all.
Casio a158w Specs
- Diameter: 34mm
- Depth: 8.5mm
- Lug to lug: 38mm
- Weight: 20g
- Water resistance 30m
- Movement: Casio digital 593
- Case material: Resin
- Bracelet: Stainless steel
- Lug width: 18mm
- Warranty: 2 years
- Model Name - Casio A158W
- Check out on Amazon here
Design Overview
Unlike its black, resin strap counterpart, I think the A158W has some aesthetic appeal. Despite this watch being released in the 1990’s, it’s design language and colourway still shouts 80s to me; the design being very similar to earlier Casio classic models. This timepiece comfortably adds a touch of retro to any outfit and is truly an absolute treat to wear as a simple daily driver.
Case
The rectangular case is made of reflective silver resin, with three stainless steel pushers placed on the small case bulges. When holding the Casio A158, you can tell straight away that the case isn’t metal, due to the lack of weight. This does, however, makes the watch comfortable and almost impalpable on the wrist.
As with all Casio digital watches, functionality is great. The pushers work well and allow you to intuitively cycle between the various functions and modes that the watch offers.
The case-back is stainless steel, secured by 4 small screws, with some manufacturing information stamped into the centre. As with the F-91W, there are plenty of stories of people going as far as diving with their Casio A158W watches, however, as the watch has a stated water resistance of just 30m, it’s not something I’d personally recommend.
Inside this watch is a basic Casio quartz movement which, while simple and cheap, has a great reputation for durability. The battery seemingly lasts forever and when it does eventually die, you will be able to just replace the whole watch, due to the low price.
Dial
The display is a crisp LCD screen, which performs exactly as you would expect. The time is perfectly viewable from multiple angles and can still be read when under direct sunlight.
You’ll notice that although the general shape from the F-91W has been retained, there are some slight differences, mainly in the text department. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see the water resistance, mode and alarm text have all been shuffled around; though at a glance, the watch basically looks the same. Given the fact that this version has a silver case, it also makes the colours seem more vibrant against the black background.
The Casio A158W also inherits the infamous backlight too. Although it does technically work and can help you to read the time in pitch-black conditions, it’s remarkably weak. If this is of importance to you, it may be worth considering the newer, albeit slightly larger, Casio A168W instead; which has much improved luminescence.
Additionally, this A158W features the counterfeit check function. Holding down the right button for a few seconds will display the word ‘CASIo’ on a genuine model. Pretty cool and useful.
Strap
The stainless-steel bracelet is great at this price point. As expected, this does just comprise of folded links, however, is fully adjustable and lightweight; making it surprisingly comfortable. I have heard many people call this bracelet a hair-ripper, however, in my experience with the watch, I haven’t had any such issues.
One thing to note, is that due to material variance between the bracelet and case, the metallic brushing doesn’t quite match up. The main case has a high-shine reflective coating, whilst the bracelet has more of a brushed finish.
Pro and Cons
Pros:
- Super low cost
- Stylish retro look
- Size
- Durability
- Functionality
- Comfort
Cons:
- Weak backlight
- Very basic specifications
- Varying metallic finishes
Should you buy one?
This Casio A158W review has covered all aspects of the watch, but…is this the best Casio watch to buy?
In short…definitely. There aren’t many more reliable daily beaters that will serve their purpose as well as this one. I think of this watch as a slightly more wearable version of the F-91W, with identical functionality, but with improved looks. Whilst the black version will likely retain the label of ‘dad watch’ for many more years, the metal Casio watch however is just a cool, retro, digital watch; that can certainly add to your style.
