Carrying the Torch: The Casio W86 Review

There is a single watch that unites the watch world, and it hardly needs an introduction: the Casio F91W. It is one of the highest selling watches of all time from one of the highest selling brands, and it is unlikely that anything will ever come close. But that doesn’t mean Casio hasn’t stopped trying. From special edition G-Shock’s to the high-end Edifice lineup, it seems like Casio is just producing hits after hits. One recent hit is their release of the Casio W86: a follow up to the F91W that we all know and love. And as if this glowing opening hasn’t clued you in, it is great.

Brand

If you were to rank every watch brand, the top of the heap would be comprised of hyper-expensive luxury brands, and Casio. It may seem weird to say Casio and Patek Phillipe in the same sentence, but they are both industry leaders in their own way. Casio has consistently had hit after hit, and its successes are some of the most ubiquitous watches of all time. Between the simplicity and popularity of the F91W, the icon-status of the G-Shock range, and the elegance of the new Edifice range, Casio is a major player in most segments of the watch industry, and is held in an extremely high regard.

Value

Casio puts itself in a predicament with its own success. The F91W is about $15, and is a very similar watch. The W86 has some important upgrades, like an improved water resistance, strap, and backlighting, but it is still more than double the price. In a scary alternate dimension where the F91W was never created, I would say this model has great value: there are a ton of features! But that isn’t the case, and you can get an iconic watch that is extremely similar for less than half.

That being said, it is not overpriced. There are many, many, watches that charge around the $50 mark and will break in a month, so to get a quality watch at the price is still respectable.

Case

If you’ve worn the F91W, the W86 will feel familiar, but just a tad bigger. In fact, it is ever so slightly larger in every dimension. That doesn’t mean that much, though, as the original watch is small. Part of the design language here is its small size, and I think it would fit just about any wrist. The design has a lot of “retro flare,” which can certainly be polarizing. It has text all over it announcing its water resistance and backlighting, done up partially in a bright teal. Again like the original, there is also a “missing” pusher on the top right corner of the case. There are pushers on all other corners, but not that one, which is a strange look.

The Casio W86 next to the F91W.

Photo courtesy of Multicherry.

The whole case is a flexible resin, and there is a screwed-in stainless steel case back, complete with any spec you would want written on it. The display is covered with a plastic “crystal.” One quirk of Casio is their conservative estimates of water resistance. This watch boasts a 50m rating, but there’s a good chance it is more like 100m- Casio products tend to out-preform their own spec sheets.

Dial and Hands

Being a digital watch, the dial is about what you’d expect. With a very legible black-on-white scheme, it is easy to read in very bright environments. In any of its modes, the needed information is large and legible, so there really aren’t any complaints. Still, it is a basic digital display, so it won’t get too much credit here.

Lume

The Casio W86’s backlight.

Photo courtesy of Multicherry.

One difference worth stating between the W86 and its predecessor is its improved “Electro Luminescence” backlighting. One of the few gripes with the classic F91W is its terribly dim backlight, but this model has a bright and uniformly lit backlight just one button press away. It really is bright too- it is extremely easy to read the display when in use.

Movement

The W86 movement is a battery-powered (~3 year battery) digital with many modes. There is a basic timekeeping with 12 or 24-hour modes, and a stopwatch. In addition, there is an optional alarm and hourly beep setting. The tone used is loud enough to grab your attention when it wants to.

Bracelet or Strap

The included strap is a ventilated resin band, which appears to be integrated at first glance. It is not, though, and the lug width is 19mm. The bracelet tapers well and is very flexible and comfortable, with enough adjustment holes. Resin bands, however, are known to become brittle after a couple years, so perhaps they could have shipped with a more durable material option. Due to this, many people swap the strap out for a nato, which is easy thanks to the drilled lugs.

Fit

The watch wears very well, which shouldn’t be a surprise given its small size, and fully resin construction. It is very lightweight due to all of this as well, so it is very easy to wear, even during exercise. There are enough adjustment holes on the strap to ensure whatever fit you need as well- more than the F91W has.

Versatility

Now, ultra-affordable digitals tend to not be a staple accessory to a tuxedo. Besides that, this watch is tough, fun, and easy to style. You really can wear this watch in a bunch of scenarios, including a workout. I wish that Casio offered it in multiple colors to extend the versatility, as the teal is quite a “retro” look. If there was a stealthy blacked-out color, or a bright pink, or even an army-inspired olive colorway, I think that it would be welcomed with open arms.

Originality

Casio is an innovator, and this is a successor to a classic design of theirs. Iterating on your own design in a new way is not a negative thing, but the watch doesn’t exactly feel fresh and new. We’ve seen countless Casio models that look pretty similar, and we can’t lie and say this is a totally new idea. Beyond that, brands like Timex have already created designs that iterated Casio’s ideas to a similar place, like the Timex T78587, with its similar layout and teal accents.

Diameter: 36 mm

Lug-to-Lug: 38mm

Lug width: 19mm

Case Material: Resin

Strap: Resin

Crystal Material: Acrylic

Movement: Digital

Water Resistance: 50m

Lume: Backlight

Crown: N/A

Color Options: Black/ Teal

Brand: 9/10

Value: 5/10

Case: 3/10

Dial and Hands: 3/10

Lume: 8/10

Movement: 2/10

Bracelet or Strap: 4/10

Fit: 8/10

Versatility: 5/10

Originality: 4/10

WatchScore: 51/100

So what’s the verdict? Some people will never want a watch that is unapologetically affordable, but that is part of the watch’s appeal. It is fun, cheap, and reliable. The Casio W86 should absolutely be in your cart if you don’t have another Casio, but it should still be in your cart if you do. It’s hard to recommend enough, and I don’t think it is a stretch to say that it carries the torch of the F91W without missing a beat.