Quartz time

So I know there's a watch thread, but it seems to be all about super expensive mechanical stuff, and I want to talk about Casios etc and thin analogs like Swatch Skin; seems like a different subject.

I was in the jeweller's the other day getting the missus a prezzie, when I noticed an old style Casio calculator watch... Did a bit of googling and it turns out they don't make them like they used to. Remembered I had a dead one in a drawer, and it turned out to be a DBX-100!

Unfortunately the buttons are made of mush, and mine looks like this... I've bought a dead example of a later one (without the full dot matrix like nearly every other Casio) but with better buttons, and I'm going to have a go at a transplant when it finally arrives... It'll be fiddly business

2 Attachments

I have one of those in my parent's loft somewhere.

I wear a Casio f-91w, it is everything you need in a watch unless you are a.......

You know what they say about that watch.

I have a baby blue one, 10.99 from Argos.

True, I keep thinking I'll get a slightly better one (with a countdown timer) but then I think nah this one is perfectly fine.

I have one of those in my parent's loft somewhere.

You should dig it out and chuck it on eBay. They're worth a bit now.

I wear a Casio f-91w, it is everything you need in a watch unless you are a.......

Hey come on, save that for the folks in the other watch thread, who can trade in one of their timepieces for a car. I could actually use a calculator on my wrist for my job, and how much better do the dot matrix numbers look! Just a bummer it doesn't have a light. I wonder how feasible an EL retromod would be... I suspect the trickiest bit would be actuating it. Hm, replace the reflector with something glow in the dark?

Also had a DB-380 in the drawer which was broken at one of the pin holes. Sorted that out with a bit of 0.1mm stainless out of an old phone and a dab of epoxy.

3 Attachments

Data bank that can store up to 20 names and numbers.

It's a bit redundant these days... I guess if you find yourself without your phone it can be handy. Nice to have a countdown timer. Looking forward to the schedule function in the DBX-100...

I think it's a bit of a bummer that this sort of watch that has a zillion functions and runs years without a battery change has gone away. Smart watches (AFAIK) are all tethered to an app you have to hope doesn't disappear one day, and are like half an inch thick; doesn't strike me as all that smart. I dig the elegance of something approaching a PDA that fits under your shirt sleeve and draws a handful of milliamps.

But if you like purity and want something super minimal that just tells the time, it's hard to go past Swatch Skin. This bad boy is 4mm thick, and retailed for like $150 last century, although I think I paid about 2/3 of that. Then there's the Skin Chronograph at 6.5mm; that's pretty nice, although the extra functions have stopped working on this one... Maybe it just needs a new cell.

2 Attachments

Citizen EcoDrive ONE is a hair under 3mm and glorious, but rather spendy

1 Attachment

@Kimmo Good luck with the restoration. I dabble in bringing the odd watch back to life, principally G Shocks from the 80s and Seikos of often unknown vintage. It's often the case that components from 2 or more Casios need to be combined to make a whole watch; I believe they make certain replacement parts for 15 years and once they're gone, that's it. Hope this encourages you in some way, it was in a right state when I got it, but luckily it was mostly cosmetic

1 Attachment

Nice one!

There are some unsightly scratches across the middle of the crystal (which is proper stuff, not plastic)... Wondering if there's a feasible method of polishing them out, preferably without removing it... It's somewhere around 0.12mm proud of the surround.

1 Attachment

Love that!

I'd like to treat myself to an old Casio

4 Attachments

When I was a kid I found an old watch which I repaired and wore for a while. It had a scratched up screen, my DT teacher had a bench grinder but you could take off the grinding stone and put a buffing thing on. He put a bit of brasso or soemthing on it and buffed out the scratches on the screen. Worked well as far as I can remember.

It can be possible; there was a "Just One More Watch" video where he did it, albeit with a Dremel on a Seiko
Link-me-do

My current daily watch. Was going to get a g shock but this does the same for much less.

1 Attachment

I still rock basic old Casios. Can’t be bothered with Garmins or smart watches.

1 Attachment

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315004905174?

👍

I've never been surfing before but I just liked the look of the tide and moon phase on this bad boy. Worn it daily for a couple of years now and not a scratch on the screen despite always bashing it

1 Attachment

My comment was more about the data bank watches having 20 names and numbers.

As a child I doubt I had 20 peoples numbers. Or anyone that I would call. Using a landline used to be very expensive.

Also have a few of the swatch skin watches, all bought in duty free, and all older models and on sale so none were more than 30.

Are you bashing it a lot?

Are you bashing it a lot?

😲

Remember your teen years...

Like you wouldn't believe