Casio Duro 38mm MDV-10 Review | This Is Not What I Was Expecting!
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For many years, it's been a no-brainer. If you want a good quality dive watch for almost nothing, you buy the Casio MDV-106. This budget beast, also known as the 'Duro', has a robust steel case, a full 200m water resistance rating, and relatively good finishing, meaning it outperforms virtually everything in its price range.
In recent times, under the MDV-107 designation, Casio even added new color variants to what was originally a very simplistic design, meaning there's probably a version that will suit your preferences. It might fit your style, but unfortunately, there's always been one thing that the Duro may not fit…your wrist.
You see, the Duro is a pretty huge watch. Now, it's not unusual for dive watches to be large, but at just over 44mm wide, this has a massive wrist presence, and for many people, it wears way too big. Functionally, too, it's never comfortable wearing a watch that's too large for your arm.
For a long time, that's been the narrative around the Duro. It's a great watch, but I wish it weren't so big! Why don't they just release a smaller version? It would crush everything! Well, recently, I caught wind of just that…a more compact 38.5mm version of this legendary watch. A lot of people were hoping for a 40mm option, but 38.5mm…could that suffice?
To find out, a few weeks back, I bought one from an eBay-based watch dealer, who was the only UK seller at the time but it's probably available from more outlets now. Unfortunately, while Casio has cut the sizing, they've cut several other corners along with it, which you should definitely know about before pulling the trigger.
Dimensions
Straight out of the box, I realized something was afoot with this new MDV-10. When side by side with other small watches, let alone the original Duro, this watch looks tiny.
After some quick caliper work, I discovered that this watch is way smaller than advertised. I'm not sure where the 39.5mm listed size has come from, as this watch actually measures in with a case size of only 36mm, with a lug-to-lug of 41.7mm and a thickness of 10.5mm. With the crown, it's 38.9mm, and with just the guards, it's 38.1mm. In essence, this is a 36mm Duro, despite what the listings indicate. What really stands out is the bracelet. This bracelet really is tiny for what's supposed to be a men's watch; I believe the MDV prefix is their indicator for a men's dive watch. The lug width is an already small 16mm, but the bracelet tapers down to just under 14mm, meaning the clasp is cartoonishly minuscule, even on my thin arm.
This will probably work better on a female wrist or in some Eastern markets like Japan, where the average wrist size is way smaller, but despite the compact nature of the MDV-10, I think an 18mm bracelet (or at least one that didn't taper) would have looked more proportionate.
So, Casio wasn't super clear with the sizing. Hypothetically, let's say this watch fits you. How does this stack up versus the original? Is it worth a buy?
Design
As you'd probably expect, this downsized option has a fair amount in common with its bigger brother. The dial has fundamentally the same design, sharing the same dark grey sunburst and arrow-equipped handset, but the new MDV-10 foregoes the raised chapter ring in favor of a printed one, which probably makes sense when trying to reduce the size of a watch. Additionally, the markers look the same, though they do house a different colored lume this time, which unfortunately hasn't resulted in improved low-light performance. The case, too, has a near-identical shape and finishing, which has always been a Duro strong suit. This is a good-looking affordable watch, there's no denying that.
I guess the main visual change, aside from the size, is the removal of the fish logo at the bottom centre. Side note; this was always said to be a Marlin, but to me, it's surely a sailfish, especially the illustration on the back. I mean just look at the shape of that dorsal fin!
Water Resistance
Fish aside, this icon was already removed on the MDV-107 re-release of the Duro anyway, and it's the accompanying text that's of more concern. One of the boons of the larger Duro is the high water resistance. You might call it overkill, as most users will never reap the benefits of the full 200m rating. Nevertheless, this, combined with the screwed rear and threaded crown, completely nullified any worries about the watch's aquatic competency and durability, something that can't be said for most affordable timepieces.
Unfortunately, the MDV-10 doesn't even get close, with a measly 50m rating. In terms of the typical wristwatch designations, this equates to two tiers lower, meaning it's more of a dive-style watch than a truly submergible diver. If you've read my watch buyer's guide, you'll know that a 50m rating, while reasonable for most watches, isn't nearly as performant as it sounds. While Casio may be underpitching this watch's competence, like some of their old-school digital watches, it's clearly not as capable as its predecessor. The screwed rear? That's been replaced with a snapback. The screw-down crown? Yep, that's gone too. You're now resigned to a standard one.
Bezel
In a similar vein, even the bezel has been downgraded. The original Duro models had a surprisingly satisfying 120-click bezel, that sounded and felt great for the money. Sadly, the new 36mm version has been left with a tinny feeling 60-click unit that suffers from severe back-play. It is, at least, aligned properly (cough, Seiko, cough!), however, it's yet another indicator that this watch has been built on a stricter budget.
Bracelet
Perhaps some of that money has gone into the bracelet? After all, this steel band probably costs more to make than the resin strap fitted to many of the MDV-106 and 107 models. Well, in some ways, I wish they hadn't. As I mentioned earlier, it feels feeble and light. It also comes with those annoying push-release links, where you have to hammer out a section from the inside to remove them, which can be a huge pain in the ass.
While the brushing matches the case quite well, I'd have opted for a resin option just for the sake of comfort and security; maybe we'll see one of those later down the line? Frustratingly, given the rare 16mm lug width, you'll have quite the time finding viable replacement straps if you feel the same.
Final Thoughts
If you're someone with super tiny wrists and have been looking for a cheap dive-style watch to match, this may be worth it. Nevertheless, this isn't the Duro I've been waiting for.
Unless this MDV-10 retails for a third less than the bigger version, I can't see it shaking up the affordable sector in any meaningful way. Admittedly, it is just as capable as most other brands at the original Duro's price point, but unlike the original, it doesn't have them handily beaten. In terms of ratings for this new Duro, I'm going for a 6/10 for value, and then for a style rating, it gets a 7/10. What a shame!
