A Review Of The Casio AE-1200 Digital Watch

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When looking for an affordable digital watch, you'd be hard pressed to find a better value proposition than any of the offerings from Japanese watch brand Casio. Their long-running F-91W model is the best selling watch in the world, and for good reason. Aside from its handsome 80s calculator inspired looks, the watch can take a serious beating, is water resistant up to 30 meters, the battery seemingly lasts forever, and it includes all the must-have features you'd expect from a simple digital timepiece.

It's an easy recommendation no doubt, but what if you're looking for something a little more sophisticated, or perhaps a step up in terms of both features and style? This is where the Casio AE-1200 enters the picture. Released in 2012, it's affectionately known as the "Casio Royale", as it bears more than a passing resemblance to the now defunct Seiko G757 5020 Sports 100 watch that complimented Roger Moore's wrist in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy.

The Casio AE-1200 is arguably a better looking watch than the now out of production Seiko, but does its doppelgänger reputation needlessly glorify an otherwise unremarkable model? Or is there some real substance behind the fandom? Having recently acquired one myself, there's plenty to discuss.

Size & Build Quality

Measuring in at 45 × 42.1 × 12.5 mm, the Casio AE-1200's case size is noticeably larger than the Casio F-91W, and it's also more substantial at 91 grams compared to the latter's featherlight 21 gram construction. The added weight isn't a burden though, and gives the watch a feeling of superior build quality. Much of this density comes from the stainless steel bracelet which sports a triple fold clasp.

The case and bezel material on the other hand, are crafted from resin. Likewise, Casio opted to use a resin glass for the watch crystal. Resin is obviously a cheaper plastic material which undoubtedly helps keep the cost of the watch in check and allowing it to achieve its budget price point. But rest assured that its tough as nails frame can endure some abuse.

Despite the use of resin, the overall heft and craftsmanship of the watch leaves little to complain about. It's a pleasure to wear both in regards to how it feels around the wrist and the elevated classic digital aesthetic that it exudes. Casio has managed to perfectly balance the often difficult compromise between cost and quality here.

Features

As for its feature set, the Casio AE-1200 includes a few notable upgrades over the F-91W. The battery life on the AE-1200 is rated for 10 years using the supplied CR2025 battery versus 7 years on the F-91W. Water resistance is also improved with a rating of 100 meters as opposed to the more modest 30 meter protection of the latter.

The LED light is a massive upgrade over the lousy LED light on the otherwise excellent less expensive Casio model. It's not only functional and easy to read, but it also emits an attractive amber color which is quite pleasing to the eyes when in dark environments. I found myself enabling it frequently in the evening just to enjoy its warm light.

Perhaps the most useful feature on the Casio AE-1200 is its World Time function, which allows you to set 4 different time zones from 48 cities and easily toggle between them. The ability to save and display multiple time zones on the watch is super handy, and the accompanying visual world map that's prominently displayed on the watch face makes it effortless to see which time zone you're currently on. You can even toggle daylight savings time on / off.

The World Time function is especially valuable if you travel frequently, have loved ones in another country, or do business virtually and need to coordinate multiple time zones. It's quick to check and even faster than using your phone. Simply press the Search button on the side of the watch to swiftly toggle through your time zones.

Another standout detail on the Casio AE-1200 is the ability to set up a whopping 5 different alarms and it's all straightforward to implement. You can choose between one time alarms, daily alarms, or even turn them off altogether. The user experience is hassle-free as well, as the alarm will beep for 10 seconds and you can press any button to cancel the notification.

Other features worth mentioning include:

• Watch is accurate down to ±30 seconds per month using the quartz Casio 3299 movement
• A full auto-calendar that's always displayed
• The ability to mute button operation beeps
• An optional hourly time signal that beeps at the beginning of every hour
• A countdown timer measured in 1/10th of a second, from 1 second up to 24 hours
• Choice of 12/24-hour format
• 1/100-second stopwatch

While this long list of features might seem overwhelming at first, it actually becomes quite easy once you get familiar with the settings. Here's a fantastic video on how to set the time and date:

Design

As I've already alluded to, the Casio AE-1200 benefits from an extremely well thought out design with respect to the user experience and visual layout. You can quickly and clearly see the current time zone (in bold on the world map), whether the time is AM or PM, the date, whether the alarm is on or off, whether the hourly time signal is on / off, and whether or not the mute mode has been activated.

This is all thanks to the thoughtfully arranged watch face which also includes an aesthetically engaging faux analogue display in the top left hand corner of the watch. Likewise, the four physical buttons found on the sides of the watch make its long list of features a breeze to navigate through without ever becoming an overwhelming endeavor.

There are a few of minor shortcomings relating to the watch bracelet that while certainly aren't dealbreakers, do hold the Casio AE-1200 back from absolute perfection. First, you'll more than likely need to get the watch bracelet shortened according to your wrist size, as it comes super loose out of the box. And second, if you have hair on your wrist like I do, beware. This is because the stainless steel bracelet is prone to frequently pull on arm hair, and the sensation ranges from mildly annoying to somewhat painful.

Lastly, although the Casio AE-1200 is incredibly durable, the use of resin material for the watch crystal means that unfortunately it's inherently more prone to scratches than other more expensive timepieces.

Pros

• Offered in several different colors and finishes
• LED light is not only useful and easy to read but also an attractive amber color
• Very affordable, a great value
• A digital watch with a sophisticated look
• Robust build quality
• Extremely long 10 year battery life
• Packed with useful features
• Water resistant up to 100 meters
• Learning curve is negligible, very smart user experience

Cons

• The watch crystal is made of resin plastic and consequently easy to scratch
• Strap is too loose out of the box, will likely need adjustment to shorten it either at home using tools or by a jeweller.
• Stainless steel watch bracelet is prone to pull on arm hairs (ouch!)

Verdict

It's no secret that I love the Casio F-91W for its simplicity, but the Casio AE-1200 is a worthwhile upgrade in several ways. Its packed with features you'll actually want to use, ones that will improve your life in a tangible way. With a far better LED light, additional useful innovations such as the ability to set four time zones, and most importantly a preferable handsome and elegant design, the AE-1200 is a cut above by every measurement.

Despite some very minor complaints about the stainless steel bracelet, the Casio AE-1200 is absolutely unbeatable in its class for everything that it offers at such a modest price point. Casio managed to craft a beautiful and unique digital watch with robust build quality and a seamless user experience for the many features it contains. This one comes highly recommended for anyone looking to add a sleek digital option to their watch collection.