A friend of mine had gifted me a Casio he had customized for me, that was not unlike this one. I decided I wanted something more "vanilla" or standard for when quickly going out, and of course found myself researching the model that started it all for most people: The much acclaimed, nostalgic and even at times clichéd F-91.
The aspect of waterproof is wonderful, as my job involves a lot of washing and spraying of various items, and even submerging my hands and arms in waters of various temperatures, and this thing holds up. The heads-up display is simple and workable with only three buttons, and while many people complain about the light-button for viewing the watch face in the dark, it's just enough to make it visible (who knows how this will stand the test of time.)
None of this is new information of course, there have been thousands upon thousands of reviews for this thing, so I'll actually dive a bit more into the overall aesthetic aspect of THIS particular take on the F-91. (I bought blue)
The default and classic look of this watch (and most Casios for that matter) are typically a dark charcoal or black, with little embellishments and decorative stylings on the letters and face to make it pop.
This particular rebranding or version on the watch is a bit more playful and colorful than the default, with a more uniform palette of different shades of soft blue. Make no mistake, this is in fact the same watch with identical accoutrements, it's simply a soft, crisp and polite powdery color. The wristband is comfortable and disappears both sensationally, but also somewhat visually, because it is of course transparent, which adds a certain fun look that reminds me of Y2K era videogame systems and tech accessories, which had those see-through plastic casings so you could see the hardware and motherboards inside (the watch face is not see-through, just the wristband.) When wearing this, you get a subtle, icy bracelet around your wrist and it just looks clean. So clean that despite its colorful presentation, I would feel at ease wearing it both casually, and yeah even in a more professional environment. It's utilitarian cleanness makes it ultimately inoffensive and just the right color for men or women.
Speaking of utility, how does it WORK? I won't waste your time. It's Casio. They've been in the business forever and a day, they know what their doing, your in good hands with this thing. The time is precise, the buttons are comfy and reliable, the thing can take scuffs, scrapes and bludgeoning better than most modern technology. If you don't like the strangely comfy band; you can replace it using a pin or toothpick to pop it out… I could go on. (No, seriously. I sleep with this thing on.)
I think in essence, one of the best parts of getting this particular model, from this particular brand, in this modern age is this pair of choices: You can buy this single watch, the default and reliable base model, and love it while living with it.
Your other choice is that if you decide to build a collection, this feels like the right and safest model to start with. You can venture out and get the other colors, or move to the other models. Heck, you could even move to another brand. My point ultimately is, for a starter watch/accessory for both the lazy and working person, it's impossible to go wrong with the F-91W.
