Casio watch
Hacker ApprovedThe most recommended of 8 digital watches
People recommend Casio digital watches for battery life measured in years, low price and simple, durable use. Critics say the backlight is weak and the interface is hard to use.
People recommend Casio digital watches for battery life measured in years, low price and simple, durable use. Critics say the backlight is weak and the interface is hard to use.
57 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 49
- criticize it
- 8
- approval share
- 86%
Recommended in 10 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 5 years
Median of the 4 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it carries the badge
- 49 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6.1 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 10 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Battery lasts years without charging
“My $10 Casio is infinitely a more reliable timepiece. It doesn't need charging so it can be taken off-grid for months at a time”
Comment from 17 Jul 2026 in “After wearing the Pebble Time 2 for two weeks, I'll never buy another smartwatch” “it's so nice to not have to ever think about the battery life!”
Comment from 12 Aug 2026 in “Pixel Watch 5” “a cheaper Casio that can last ten years on a 5 dollar battery”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “I love my dumb watches” - Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening”
- Comment from 11 Sep 2026 in “iPhone Duo”
- Comment from 7 Apr 2026 in “The Last Quiet Thing”
- Comment from 13 Aug 2026 in “Pixel Watch 5”
- Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s”
Low price, good value
“most features, battery life, versatility, utility, and durability for the lowest possible price”
Comment from 6 Mar 2026 in “The Brand Age” “Casio are great watches that are accessible to just about everybody on the planet.”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s” “a cheaper Casio that can last ten years on a 5 dollar battery”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “I love my dumb watches” - Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening”
- Comment from 20 Mar 2026 in “I love my dumb watches”
- Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening”
- Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “Apple Watch Series 12”
Simple, reliable, no smartphone needed
“The Casio calculator watch was a reliable, ergonomic watch, with a reliable, ergonomic (for its size) calculator.”
Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “A Privacy Analysis of Web and Mobile Conversational AI Agents [pdf]” “I no longer have to pull out my smartphone just to get the current time.”
Comment from 16 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: What are your best purchases under $100?” “After 2 months I must admit that I don't really need smart watches”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s” - Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening”
- Comment from 11 Nov 2025 in “The history of Casio watches”
- Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “The history of Casio watches”
Durable, long-lasting, still working
“most features, battery life, versatility, utility, and durability for the lowest possible price”
Comment from 6 Mar 2026 in “The Brand Age” “waterproof and battery can be swapped out by undoing 4 philips screws, no glue”
Comment from 4 May 2026 in “Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027” “Been living with a Casio on the wrist uninterrupted for years now”
Comment from 20 Mar 2026 in “I love my dumb watches” - Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Hard to read, weak backlight
“it looks very cool, but is also much harder to read”
Comment from 20 Aug 2026 in “New Casio F-B100W – Upgrade to the iconic F-91W after 40 years” “I frankly just wish it had a backlight.”
Comment from 1 Nov 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s” “the backlight is so horrible”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s” Confusing interface and design
“so hard to use and can't possibly have been used regularly by their owners”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s” “the interactions are so confusing compared to casio”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “Casio Watches of the 1980s” “I really don't get the UI / design”
Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “The history of Casio watches” Clock and settings quirks
“my Casio can't even change the default mm-dd to my country's default dd-mm”
Comment from 20 Aug 2026 in “New Casio F-B100W – Upgrade to the iconic F-91W after 40 years” “my casio clock sync starts skewing over time”
Comment from 27 Dec 2025 in “Clock Synchronization Is a Nightmare”
Other digital watches people recommend
The four most recommended other digital watches, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casio watchThis page | 49 | 8 | 86% | 10 | 5 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| Casio F-91W | 47 | 7 | 87% | 10 | 3 yrs7 owners | Approved |
| Casio G-Shock | 43 | 15 | 74% | 10 | 10 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| Casio F-B100W | 40 | 26 | 61% | 1 | — | — |
| Casio Wave Ceptor | 5 | 1 | 83% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
40 of the 57 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I frankly just wish it had a backlight.”
“I absolutely love the stainless steel case. It's heavier (which I love for some reason), looks better, the glass is crystal”
“Casio are great watches that are accessible to just about everybody on the planet.”
“the backlight is so horrible”
“It's solar, so it never needs to be charged.”
“We used the calculator back in the 80s”
“After 2 months I must admit that I don't really need smart watches”
“so hard to use and can't possibly have been used regularly by their owners”
“I'd like them more if the watch faces weren't splattered with”
“To me, they represented the highest form of functional and consumer utility at a justified price.”
“the interactions are so confusing compared to casio”
“They worked then, they still work.”
“The Casio calculator watch was a reliable, ergonomic watch, with a reliable, ergonomic (for its size) calculator.”
“It's kind of amazing to have a watch with a 7+ year battery.”
“Simple, cheap, fulfills requirements with no scope creep.”
“Got a shitty old Casio here. Does the job.”
“A $6 Casio will keep better time.”
“has a 10 years battery and dual timezone I need when I travel”
“This is exactly how I feel about my old school Casio wristwatch.”
“it looks very cool, but is also much harder to read”
“my Casio can't even change the default mm-dd to my country's default dd-mm”
“stay charged for 10 years rather than 2 days”
“The only thing I miss from switching to a Casio”
“it's so nice to not have to ever think about the battery life!”
“My $10 Casio is infinitely a more reliable timepiece. It doesn't need charging so it can be taken off-grid for months at a time”
“waterproof and battery can be swapped out by undoing 4 philips screws, no glue”
“7 years change a battery. That is low maintenance.”
“after training my whole life with just a casio”
“a cheaper Casio that can last ten years on a 5 dollar battery”
“Been living with a Casio on the wrist uninterrupted for years now”
“Casio is nice tho if you can't afford a Garmin.”
“most features, battery life, versatility, utility, and durability for the lowest possible price”
“I no longer have to pull out my smartphone just to get the current time.”
“the similar variant of the watch with an EL display is vastly superior”
“my casio clock sync starts skewing over time”
“that was a lot less disruptive and still pretty fun”
“I really don't get the UI / design”
“I like it a lot better than a smart watch.”
“They're super useful to kids without a smart phone.”
“Still consistently better quality than 99% of the clones out there.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.