Simply said, yes. I think you should have the Casio A159WAD-1D in your collection. Why? But that’s not all; it’s also settling considerably cheaper, at approximately $35 at Walmart, Amazon, and other shops. In 2018, the firm debuted the Casio A159WAD-1D, a variation of the A159 line from its “Casio Retro” collection of watches with a retro aesthetic. If you’re interested in the history of luxury watches and the organization of collections, why not show the same affection to this A159? Let’s examine the performance of this “little watch that could” and the reasons I recently started wearing it often.
Many watch collectors, but not all, tend to select enigmatic brands and timepieces as their collecting habits and goals evolve. At some point, a quick glance at a watch will reveal more information than it previously did; you’ll be able to assess the amount of sophistication of its case and bracelet, dial, and hands with speed and accuracy, as well as memories its mechanism. At this point, we might be interested in finding out more about the goals and workings of a certain reference, collection, or brand.
The fun really begins when you get your hands on the actual watch. First, let’s be sure we are focusing on the correct item. The Casio A159WAD-1D is only 9.7 mm thick, measures 36.8 mm by 33.2 mm, and weighs only 45 g (1.58 oz). Picking it up causes the ostensibly five-piece link bracelet to ratchet audibly between the lugs as well as at the loose ends, which are situated around the open clasp. The end link construction of the bracelet uses large tolerance levels, which causes the bracelet as a whole to wiggle as it descends the spring bar.
Despite the cheap rattling and the fact that a single Rolex Oyster bracelet link seems more sturdy and precious than this entire device, you still don’t have the impression that it will fall apart or fall off your wrist anytime soon. It only has the well-used appearance of a 20–30-year-old vintage Rolex. The advantage? This loose bracelet, like many others, fits the wrist’s curve more easily, making it wonderfully comfortable to wear. I didn’t pull my hair while wearing it, which surprised me because I expected a lot of it, however your experience may vary. When wearing the watch, it might happen momentarily, but never once.
You’ll most likely miss some delectable Timex Indigo or good old Super-Lum Inova after dusk or on a stairway with low lighting, though. When it is so dark that the display cannot be read without the aid of light, time may be viewed completely.
Nevertheless, the Casio A159WAD-1D has a lot of commendable features. One of the most important qualities of a high-quality watch at whatever price point is that it is stunningly legible during the day. This cannot be emphasized enough. To separate the hands and their reflections from the intricate dial textures of expensive luxury watches, which frequently have reflective dials, crystals, and hands, requires a headache-inducing amount of effort.
Furthermore, it is a great deal more comfortable than 300m or 600m (desk) diver’s watches, which weigh five times as much and painfully jiggle around the wrist with every movement. This is a result of the watch’s supple and lightweight strap. This tiny Casio is wearable and legible, which brings it one step closer to being a real wristwatch appropriate for daily wear.
The most exciting aspect of this watch, however, has nothing to do with its astoundingly superb readability or nice wrist feel, therefore it’s time to start talking about the diamonds. The two diamonds prominently displayed above and below the display, underneath a front glass element faceted to resemble a diamond, are unique to this particular Casio A159WAD-1D reference (and three other models, including its gold-colored alternative, the A159WGED-1, and two smaller versions, known as the LA670WEAD-1EF and LA-670WGAD-1D).
If a watch has diamonds, it will usually cost at least a few thousand dollars, but more often than not, it will cost between five and six figures. They might represent rank, worth, creativity, or other things. The group has been mentioned, right? Finding valuable stones in a Casio watch, much alone a cheap one, is intriguing and fascinating. I’d be interested in seeing any factory-set, diamond-set Casio watches from before 2018.
But this begs the question of whether Casio is only using fashion to court bijoux-obsessed consumers. Alternatively, and given my ten-year engagement with the luxury watch industry, I may be overthinking this, I wonder if Casio is making fun of high-end watchmakers and their periodic exorbitant price rises on diamond-set watches.
There is no escaping the truth that it might not make you like diamonds, even if you don’t already: The Casio A159WAD-1D is a diamond watch with factory settings. Therefore, there is a good chance that it will have two more diamonds than any high-end timepiece your peers are sporting at any given moment. Given how frequently watches are reduced to bragging rights, it is funny to see a common bragging war tool lowered to a $35 level. At this price, discussing the fact that these two little stones are more “industrial grade” than “investment quality” is completely missing the humor. Yes, a variety of cutting and drilling tools use affordable real diamonds.
The scratchy “resin glass” front glass of the Casio A159WAD-1D is almost as entertaining to look at while you’re wearing it as it is to try to catch the light in one of the diamonds’ facets. Sapphire crystal is obsolete. They may still be able to see their reflection in the top facet, also known as the table, and the angled row of elements, commonly known as the crown, even if they are sat further back and beyond the front glass.
My wrist measures 6.8 inches (17 cm), which contrasts beautifully with the comparatively compact case. The contrast between the bezel and glass reflections and the black display surround and text is well-balanced. The scratchy “resin glass” front glass of the Casio A159WAD-1D is almost as entertaining to look at while you’re wearing it as it is to try to catch the light in one of the diamonds’ facets. Sapphire crystal is obsolete. They may still be able to see their reflection in the top facet, also known as the table, and the angled row of elements, commonly known as the crown, even if they are sat further back and beyond the front glass. My wrist’s size and the relatively modest case contrast each other beautifully.
The contrast between the bezel and glass reflections and the black display surround and text is well-balanced. The scratchy “resin glass” front glass of the Casio A159WAD-1D is almost as entertaining to look at while you’re wearing it as it is to try to catch the light in one of the diamonds’ facets. Sapphire crystal is obsolete. They may still be able to see their reflection in the top facet, also known as the table, and the angled row of elements, commonly known as the crown, even if they are sat further back and beyond the front glass.
My wrist measures 6.8 inches (17 cm), which contrasts beautifully with the comparatively compact case. The contrast between the bezel and glass reflections and the black display surround and text is well-balanced. The scratchy “resin glass” front glass of the Casio A159WAD-1D is almost as entertaining to look at while you’re wearing it as it is to try to catch the light in one of the diamonds’ facets. Sapphire crystal is obsolete.
They may still be able to see their reflection in the top facet, also known as the table, and the angled row of features, also known as the crown, even if they are sat further back and beyond the front glass. My wrist measures 6.8′′ (17 cm), so the comparatively small case contrasts nicely with it. The black display surround and text are in harmony with the reflections on the glass and bezel.
