#1:Casio FT500WC Series | Men's Analog Watch | 100 Meter Water Resistance | LED Light | Date Display | Leather/Cloth Band | Regular Time Keeping (HR, Min, SEC, PM, Date, Day) | 3 Year Battery
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Customer reviews
Perfect simplicity
I have owned several “field watch” style analog watches, most recently a metal Timex Expedition, which is a handsome military style watch. While well built, the Timex is heavy. I tried this Casio model because the weight, about half of the Timex’s, was one of the lowest weights of any analog watch available on Amazon, with the exception of perhaps a Swatch or the tiny Swatch-like Casio which the Pope wears (Google that if you don’t believe me). The all plastic design is what leads to this low weight.
After wearing it for three days, I can say this watch is great & exactly what I expected. Well under 40mm across, so it’s not large on my average sized wrist. Astoundingly bright light (with a really cool multi-second fade, which I’ve never seen on a watch). And again, so lightweight you’re not even aware of its presence. Some people have asked if the hands are luminous; they are not.
The most puzzling thing about this watch was the strap that came with it. Very funny looking and bulky for everyday wear. The “leather” parts of the band were clearly shiny vinyl, which gave the band a cheap look. But I will say that the supplied band would probably work well for people who use the watch for camping, hiking, canoeing, etc. The band’s Velcro was very secure and easily adjustable to any lengthy and it would be quite easy to quickly put the watch over a jacket while cold weather fly fishing or something like that. Also the supplied strap seems like it would dry fast.
But because I planned to wear it was an everyday non-outdoorsy watch, I wanted to switch to a NATO strap, of which I have several. Here’s where I’d caution anyone planning to switch straps as I did. Most “lug widths” on watches are *even* millimeter widths, with 18, 20 & 22 being the most common, and 20mm being the most common of all for Timexes, Seikos, Citizens, etc. This watch is a 19mm lug width. Quite unusual. Straps, NATO and otherwise, with odd widths are difficult to find, but I happened to have one (the one featured in the photo). Is this lug width issue a huge deal? No. If you wanted to switch the watch to a NATO strap, and couldn’t find a 19mm, an 18 or 20 would work (with the former showing a bit of the metal pins and the latter being a snug fit).
But aside from the weird band issue — which worked out well for me — this is a perfect watch for a perfect price. Like many Casios, you’re talking about approximately $20 for a watch which will likely last years.
** One final note: I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this, but one YouTube review of this watch said it has two batteries— one for the quartz movement and another for the light. If this is true, this might be a reason to just get a brand new watch when the batteries die, since replacement of two batteries could equal the cost of the watch, especially if a jeweler were to charge you $20ish for installation of the two.
Watch It!
Excellent price for an accurate quartz watch that does everything a field watch should do (and more). The small LED at the 6 o'clock position is plenty bright to read the dial - no more wishing that cheap luminous hands and numerals kept their luminosity in the darkness. The 24-hour numerals are a bit small but, hey, if you can't add 12 to the current time, you probably ought not worry about military time anyway. The strap is velcro, so no fussing around with a cheap pin buckle. The date? Frankly, who needs that in a field watch anyway - but, if you want to know the date, there it is for you. The off-white dial complements the black and brown of the plastic case. The resin (AKA acrylic or plastic) crystal will probably get pretty scratched as you work in the yard or hike along brushy paths, but it's pretty easily buffed out if you want to restore the clarity. Looks great with jeans or khaki for a very casual look. A great weekend watch when you've no one to impress but yourself for making such a great buy!
My all time favorite Casio.
This is a very simple watch. It has a crown to pull out with a fingernail. The crown has 2 detents, the 1st for the day setting which has a satisfying click for each date. The 2nd detent is for the time. When you have the watch set where you want, fully press the crown and this Casio will the hold the time as close as possible for months.
It's not just a Casio, it's a Casio analog, it's a tank.
The biggest reasons to love this watch are for the comfort and ease of use of the nylon and velcro strap. Also, the backlight on this watch is fantastic.
My mom bought me this watch in around 2001 because my first car did not have a clock. So I kept a version of this Forester around the shifter column and kept it there for almost 4 years.
That older Forester had a different backlight, which was great, but these new Foresters have an LED which is superior. They both had a "timeout/dimming" function to them that is similar and I think is unique.
I love watches and especially Casio and some more "flavorful" options like data banks and G-Shocks. But this a real great simple and rugged watch. You won't be disappointed to wear this everyday or add to a collection.
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