The Best Casio Watches You Can Wear Anywhere

Ask any watch nerd what the most affordable watch in their collection is, and they'll almost certainly pull out a Casio. The legendary Japanese brand is one of the few in horology that truly transcends class, race, and nationality. You're just as likely to see “buy anything” watch nerds like John Mayer rocking a six-figure Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe alongside a G-Shock. Casios just look cool and function well. From on-screen use in everything from Back to the Future to Stranger Things, a Casio deserves a place—or several—in every serious collector's watch box.

Casio offers a wide assortment of models that appeal to everyone, at all price points. Here are the favorites that I've seen and tried, from simple classics to advanced modern smartwatches.

An Affordable Legend

Casio's iconic F91W has been worn by millions for decades. Introduced in 1989, it has already become a classic. This thin watch with a slim rubber band handles all the basic timekeeping you need and retails for less than $30 new.

You can get it in a ton of colors (I like my wife's brass bezelled version), but even the classic black goes with any outfit. When the band inevitably comes apart after a couple of years, just replace it with a new one. My wife claims this is the most common watch she sees among Pacific Northwest surfers, because it easily fits under a wet suit, and you don't mind if you lose it accidentally.

The only downside I've found over a decade of wear? The light to illuminate the screen in the dark is hilariously bad. You can still sort of tell the time, but if you want a better backlight, check out the Illuminator model (F105W-1A, $30), which fixes this ancient problem, and looks nearly identical.

A Classic G-Shock

There are hundreds of variants of the DW5600 on the market, each modeled after the first-ever G-Shock. It was designed by legendary Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe, who, after dropping and breaking a watch his father had given him in the late 1970s, became obsessed with creating a watch that was indestructible. Regardless of which movement variant you get (solar, atomic, classic, inverted dial—there are countless to choose from), each watch is designed to what Casio calls Triple 10 principles: 10-year battery life, 10-bar (100-meter) water resistance, and protection against a 10-meter fall onto concrete.

Needless to say, this is a rugged watch that will take a lifetime of abuse, as long as you change the battery (or get a solar model). This basic G-Shock is the foundation of much of Casio's acclaim as a buy-it-for-life watch brand, and there are so many cool versions to choose from. All of my DW5600s, which I typically wear when doing the dirtiest tasks in my life, still look great after tons of gross, greasy adventures, and they have a timeless look you really never get over.

A Full Metal G-Shock

If the DW5600 above isn't quite rugged enough for you, Casio also has a version of the classic G-Shock in full metal. This watch is solar powered, comes with radio-based atomic time, and can pair to your phone via Bluetooth to adjust settings.

The case is heavy and robust, and the band actually tapers nicely to a milled metal clasp, making it as secure as you'll find for adventuring. Everybody loves a big, gaudy Casio, and for me, the more flash the better.

A Watch for World Travelers

As someone with family across the world, it's genuinely useful to have a watch with a world time function. This is perhaps the coolest global timer I've ever seen and used, with a tiny world map in the upper right, a clock face for home time in the upper left, and a digital lower face to show you the current or away time.

These look so cool, they've earned the nickname Casio Royale, in homage to the Seiko watch worn by Roger Moore in 1983's Octopussy. Variants of this watch are incredible value; you can get one for about the same price as the entry-level F91W above, but this is a much better watch per dollar.

A Math Watch

The Casio calculator watch is another classic you'll want to wear because it brings you joy. You buy it for the nerd appeal that spans decades of famous wearers, both on- and off-screen. Marty McFly rocked this watch in the second and third Back to the Future films before it also graced the wrist of Walter White in Breaking Bad. Features include the eight-digit calculator, a stopwatch, dual time zones, and an alarm.

An Apple Watch Dupe

The shape and metal band on this Casio might make folks think you're wearing an Apple Watch, but below the mineral crystal glass lies a cool moon-phase quartz movement that is wonderfully stunning for the price. Two subdials show the day and date, while a third dial is set to the phase of the moon where you're currently living.

A Smart G-Shock

The massive G-Shock Rangeman is what I'd expect real adventurers, soldiers, and roughnecks might use in lieu of an Apple Watch Ultra. This outdoor hybrid smartwatch is equipped with a heart rate sensor, GPS, solar charging, a thermometer, an altimeter, and an accelerometer. I desperately wanted a Casio that connects with Strava to track runs without having to bring my phone, and this does!

A Modern Icon

The GA2100—colloquially called the “CasiOak” for its resemblance to the much, much more expensive Audemars Piguet Royal Oak—takes me back to my childhood with its nostalgic design. It’s perfect for travel, with digital time zone controls for the analog hands to quickly switch times, and 200-meter water resistance for any adventure.