Casio AE1200 Review (Casio Royale)

The Casio AE1200 is a watch that I have had my eye on for a little while, it is by no means an expensive watch and it has an excellent retro feel. The watch itself is popular not only for its price but for a more than passing resemblance to the Seiko G757 5020 Sports 100 , now it is not an exact match but has the look and feel of this watch. So what is the appeal of the Sports 100, and why would watch enthusiasts want a similar watch? In one word, Bond. In 1983 the Sports 100 was the watch of choice for Roger Moore in the 13th James Bond movie Octopussy .

The Sports 100 is quite a rare watch to find in good condition and it commands a high price for a digital watch (often well above £800). So what is the Bond enthusiast watch collector to do when on a tight budget? In steps Casio with its retro styled AE1200, first released in 2012 it is widely available in a selection of styles and easily purchasable for under £30 (I picked up mine at Argos, it is currently at £19.99). The specific model in question for this review is the AE-1200WHD-1AVEF which comes with a stainless steel band.

Casio AE1200 – Summary

Case : Plastic resin, silver coated in parts Caseback : Stainless steel, fitted with screws Dial : LCD, black on white, with black overlay Lens : Acrylic / Resin, flat Strap : Stainless steel bracelet, leaf deployment Water Res : 10ATM (100 m /330 ft) swimming, surfing Features :4 time zones, world time, stopwatch, timer, 5 alarms, auto calendar, LED light Dimensions : 42.1mm x 45mm Thickness : 12.5mm Lug Width : 24mm into 18mm at lug Warranty : 1 year, 10 year battery Price : £19.99, typically £20 – £30

Case, Bezel & Crystal

The Casio AE1200 case is of a striking octagonal design, an almost square angular affair that feel straight out of the 80's. It brings a functional almost utilitarian feel, that shouts its features straight from its face. At 45mm x 42mm it just about sits in the gents standard size watch bracket, but with is diminutive weight, just 50 grams, it sits light on the wrist (even with its stainless steel strap). Much of this is due to the mainly plastic resin design with the only real metal in the caseback and strap.

The case itself is presented in three layers, the top most layer is in a smooth black plastic resin, upon which the crystal sits, the second layer is a shiny silver coated plastic that travels down midway between the four pushers set at each side, and the final layer is a softer matte silver coated plastic that travels down and tucks under to meet the stainless steel caseback. The four pushers that are evenly distributed, two by two halfway down each side of the case sit proud, with beveled surrounds that sweep down and in from the sides, this has a pleasing aesthetic and makes them easy to find and operate. The lugs are drawn out and down from the second and third layers, they sweep downwards and are detailed with faux screw heads set either side of the “Illuminator” and “World Time” texts. The lug width starts at 18mm expanding to 24mm, should you wish to swap straps for an after-market one such as NATO, you may wish to purchase or modify such as strap to account for this expansion, an 18mm strap will work but it may look out of place.

A word about the case materials; coated plastics do have some drawbacks, mainly that over time the coating is likely to get chipped or potentially delaminate from the plastic underneath, although I have not had issue with this myself (and the watch is used as my gym beater) others have reported that the case is easier to mark that a comparative one made from metal (such as stainless) so this is worth considering. But as with all extremely affordable watches, this is a fair trade off against cost.

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