I Wore This $18 Casio Watch Every Day at Summer Camp, and It Still Works Perfectly Years Later
Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.
In This Story
Why We Love This Deal
I worked at a camp for two summers in the Stanislaus National Forest in California, and needed a watch that could survive everything a group of kids could throw at it (literally). Most counselors opted for a Casio, and a friend gifted me a Casio F105W that I wore for years, even after camp ended. It kept perfect time, survived more than a few unplanned water encounters, and actually let me see the time at night with no other lights around.
Right now, the very same $30 Casio Vintage F105W-1A Sport Watch is on sale for $18 at Amazon. It comes in the classic black-and-blue colorway, and it seems like I'm not the only one who loves it—over 2,000 have been purchased in the last month.
Casio Vintage F105W-1A Sport Watch, $18 (was $30) at Amazon
What Shoppers Should Know
- Movement: Digital quartz
- Case: 35.4mm resin
- Water Resistance: 300 feet
- Battery: 7-year CR2016
- Best For: Everyday wear, outdoor activities, travel, camping
This is one of Casio’s best no-frills watches with a lightweight resin case, EL backlight, daily alarm, stopwatch, and an auto-calendar that handles the date so you don’t have to. The 7-year battery life is the thing that makes the watch especially practical, and the backlight is bright enough to read in complete darkness. It’s finished with enough water resistance to handle splashes, and a retro look that’s always in style.
This F105W model is one of the best entry points into the Casio digital lineup, and one of the few watches (at any price) that you can buy, put on, and forget about for literal years. Seven years of battery life and a sub-$20 price tag make this one of the easiest recommendations in the watch category.
Related: This Tough-as-Nails Casio G-Shock Mudmaster Watch Is Over $100 Off Right Now
What Shoppers Are Saying
Both watch enthusiasts and those who just need something that tells the time can appreciate the simple reliability of a Casio like this: “Great watch for the price, I always find myself reaching for it because it's light, convenient, and simple.”
The claim to fame for many of these smaller resin Casio watches is that they’re incredibly durable, especially for the price: “You can beat the crap out of these digital watches doing rough work, and they never quit.”
The Casio Vintage F105W-1A Sport Watch is available now for $18, but considering how sporadic watch deals are on Amazon, it’s a good idea to grab one soon before the sale ends.