Casio F-91W Review

There are a few digital watches that have become classics. Some obvious examples are trailblazers – the first LED, the first LCD and the first G-Shock. Then there is the F91W. It didn’t do anything first, and some things it doesn’t do at all well, but it appears to have a resonance amongst the public that few other watches can manage. Take into account its sub $20 price, and that resonance suddenly becomes unique.

The public opinion is not universally positive, however. Some believe that it’s only popular due to people reminiscing about their youth, rather than due to any redeeming features of the watch itself. However, the online opinion is definitely swayed in favour of the diminuitive digital. Of course, it would be negligent not to mention its use by terrorists. I’ve read more than one comment online stating that wearing an F91W will definitely get you stopped and searched at airports. Try it at your own risk.

You can rarely buy a classic so cheaply, so I’ve done just that. Does the little Casio live up to its big reputation? Read on…

The two words to describe this watch are small and basic. Compared with almost anything else, this is a lightweight. Your preferences may differ, but I like my watches the same way that I like my shoes – that is, if I’m concentrating on them I know that they’re there. Otherwise, I don’t want to know about them. This watch is perfect for that.

This may be a cheap, basic watch, but it has some cool features. If you change the alarm time, the watch will then turn the alarm on. Simple, but clever. Additionally, if the alarm is set or the stopwatch is used, the next press of the mode button gets you back to the home screen. Again, simple, but a good time saver – plus it means that you only get to the time setting screen by pressing the mode button thrice (more about this later).

There are a few little things that could be improved. The strangest thing is that the beep works for the lower two buttons only. Additionally, the light button always turns on the light, even when you’re using it for something else (such as the stopwatch). This means that operating the watch is an intermittent series of flashes and beeps, which don’t really line up with the tactile feedback. I don’t know why this is the case, as the button on the right of screen beeps only in certain situations. Additionally, if you are using the light, you can’t really do anything apart from look at the basic time screen. I would have liked to have a month on the display. It’s required when setting up the watch, so as to count the correct number of days, but it’s never displayed anywhere. Another little issue is that the mode button scrolls from time to alarm to stopwatch to time setting. I prefer to have my time set by holding down a button, as this means that the time is less likely to be set accidentally. This watch does have the capability to register held buttons, as that’s how you get the cool “CASIo” feature (hold down the 24hr button). Finally, the “R” doesn’t look right when representing Friday. It’s a shame, as the rest of the characters look so good.

The F-91W has quite a range of colours, with some being released quite recently. My favourites are the classic black resin, and the ones with the silver and gold coloured inlays. I bought the black, and am considering the gold.

This watch has a reputation that is the envy of every other $10 piece of electronics. It’s accurate, small and cheap to buy and maintain. And yet, I feel that the world has moved on a lot since 1991. Today’s F-91 would be just as thin, but would include a proper light, timer, solar charging and bluetooth connectivity. It would also cost less than $25. F-92 maybe? I’m waiting, Casio.

If you want a really basic watch, get an F-28 (if you can locate one). If you want a decent light, get an F-105. If you want to go swimming, get a W-59. As a piece of electronic history, it’s awesome – what else has been owned by both Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden – but just like history, it’s no longer current. And that may be why hipsters love it.