Watch Review: Casio Men's Heavy Duty Chronograph Quartz Watch (MCW-100H)

 If you are looking for an inexpensive, bang-around, watch for casual adventures and daily wear, you might consider the Casio Men's 'Heavy Duty' quartz chronograph watch.  This one is Model MCW-100H and generally retails for less than $50.  I like the large readable hands (including a white-tipped bright orange second hand), large hour indices, and practical analog features.

Watch Features

This Casio is an analog watch with sub-dials offering 24-hour time, a chronograph with seconds, and a chronograph dial with up to 30 minutes.  The watch has a readable date window canted at an angle between the 4 and 5 o'clock positions.

The Casio Men's Heavy Duty Chronograph features a Japanese quartz movement.  However, the watch itself is assembled in China with a Chinese case and band.

Watch Style

I find the style of the Casio Men's Heavy Duty Chronograph to be a real strong point. This watch offers much of the style of the popular Casio G-Shock series at a lower price point.  If you don't need the extra ruggedness of a G-Shock or the digital features of a G-Shock, this watch might be a nice alternative. It offers a utilitarian, adventurous, style that is appealing to most men.

I do like that the subdials are still just readable to me on this watch despite my aging eyes.  The watch hands are bright, large, and well marked.  The buttons and crown are protected from inadvertent activation by molded resin bump-outs.

The bright orange band also makes this watch very easy to find on a cluttered vanity top. It's always easy to grab for quick adventures around town.

While this watch is attractive, it's also obviously not an expensive watch.  There's no fear that it will be mugger bait.

Watch Construction

Despite the rugged looks of this watch, it is largely constructed from various plastics.  While the caseback is stainless steel, the watch band and case are made from resin.

If you are an actual adventurer, this watch is water-resistant to 100 meters so it should be fine for swimming or snorkeling, but not scuba diving.

At least one reviewer on Amazon have commented that the resin band on this watch feels more like plastic than silicone or rubber.  I'd have to agree, but I do find this band very comfortable and perhaps not as sweaty as some rubber watch straps can make the wearer feel.

Watch Dimensions

The Casio Men's Heavy Duty Chronograph is a little chunky, but not crazily so.  The case diameter for this watch is 49.3 millimeters and the thickness is 13 millimeters. The strap is 25 millimeters at the case.  It is generous in length and fits my wrist with room to spare.

It's definitely not a think watch, but it fits the wrist well and, thanks to the resin construction, it is lightweight.

For an adventure watch, I think the dimensions of the Casio MCW-100H are just right.

Overall Impression

As I read this review, I'm struck by the number of little compromises that were made in the design and construction of this watch.  Yes, the materials are cheap.  Yes, it is a little chunky.  Yes, it's not a G-Shock.  But, it is a cool watch. It looks good. It is practical and very readable and it is ready for all the adventures that I will dish out.  It is actually one of the best watches around for under $50.  This watch is available here on Amazon.