Casio AQ230GA-9BVT Review - A Week On The Wrist
Ah, Casio. Whatever needs you have, Casio has it. Not only do they have it, they're also relatively cheap!
I was on a hunt for a gold-toned dress watch, with a bit of a flair (as if gold wasn't flashy enough already). Of the two gold AQ230GA models, I ultimately went with the one pictured as I like having numerals on the dial as opposed to just markers.
The case is what you expect from Casio at this price range. It's resin and it features only polished finishing. It's quite a dainty watch, rectangle-ish shape, measuring only 30mm across and 40mm lug-to-lug. It's also only 8mm thin. Think classic Cartier Tank-like dimensions. The dial is also gold in colour with arabic numerals and a digital screen at the 6 o'clock position. The hands on the analog watch are also gold in colour.
The watch comes on a rolled, gold-toned steel bracelet. It's very light weight, but you can tell that it's not the best of qualities.
It sounds like a lot of gold and... it kinda is. However the small dimensions do help downplay the gold. I did not mind it on the bracelet, but I quickly switched it out for leather straps.
And how wonderful it looked!
Functionality wise you do get a ton. A monopusher chronograph, tracking of 3 simultaneous time zones (can display only 2 at a time though), and an alarm. These functions are all controlled by the 3 buttons on the watch. No lume or light function however.
One of the negatives of this watch is the method of adjusting the analog clock time. The watch does not feature a crown, and thus a button is pressed to advance the time by 1min. Which is fine if you're adjusting the time only once. Good luck during DST changes.
I guess another negative is that it's very 80s/90s. It might not be for everyone, but I'm definitely vibing.
But other than that, it's a cheap Casio. There's not much I expected from this watch. It looks good, it keeps good time, and it displays the date.
So very glad I got this watch, I feel like it has scratched that square dress watch itch.
Casio AQ230GA-9BVT Review - A Week On The Wrist
Yes
No
- Affordable but looks nice
- Many functions
- Ana-digi
- Resin case can feel cheap
- No lume/lights
- Setting the time... forgetaboutit
Armchair watch collector
I have the other goldy version that you turned down. It being a bit tank-ish, lightweight and thin, I call it my "light tank".
Yeah, the stock bracelet is pretty thin. If I stretch it out I could almost shave with it. The slim case does slide easily under most cuffs without assistance.
While the analog and digital sections stay in sync, mine loses about a minute a week which is decent by mechanical watch standards but a little disappointing from a Casio quartz. I'll try a new battery some time. I doubt something in this price range will have an accessible adjusting condenser to fine tune the accuracy but I'm willing to be surprised.
Fantastic review! 😎
So far my collection is only Casio (and one of them a G-Shock), and the first one I got was a square one, I was also trying to scratch the itch of the Cartier Tank, and it worked, sort of.
When it comes to looks Casio is a hit or miss imo. Some of their pieces look more expensive than they are, while others have a cheap look to them, mostly due to the polished metal they use for the cases. What matters to me is what the brand offers for a fairly low budget, and there is not day I wake up and regret buying one of my Casios.
I have the other goldy version that you turned down. It being a bit tank-ish, lightweight and thin, I call it my "light tank".
Yeah, the stock bracelet is pretty thin. If I stretch it out I could almost shave with it. The slim case does slide easily under most cuffs without assistance.
While the analog and digital sections stay in sync, mine loses about a minute a week which is decent by mechanical watch standards but a little disappointing from a Casio quartz. I'll try a new battery some time. I doubt something in this price range will have an accessible adjusting condenser to fine tune the accuracy but I'm willing to be surprised.
That version is also beautiful, honestly I do think it looks more elegant than mine! 1min/week is pretty huge for quartz indeed, hoping it's just a battery issue for you.
That version is also beautiful, honestly I do think it looks more elegant than mine! 1min/week is pretty huge for quartz indeed, hoping it's just a battery issue for you.
I can say that your version is much, much more legible. On mine the very slim hands get a bit lost in the strong sunburst effect, so I pulled out the movement and blackened the goldy hands with a felt-tip pen which did help a bit.
I quite love the 90’s vibe here and especially on leather.
Fantastic review! 😎
So far my collection is only Casio (and one of them a G-Shock), and the first one I got was a square one, I was also trying to scratch the itch of the Cartier Tank, and it worked, sort of.
When it comes to looks Casio is a hit or miss imo. Some of their pieces look more expensive than they are, while others have a cheap look to them, mostly due to the polished metal they use for the cases. What matters to me is what the brand offers for a fairly low budget, and there is not day I wake up and regret buying one of my Casios.
Thank you! I also agree with the (maybe excessive) polished finishings, they can be hit or miss depending on the case and watch.
And yes, they're like Swatch or Timex in a way, relatively cheap but fun pieces!
I can say that your version is much, much more legible. On mine the very slim hands get a bit lost in the strong sunburst effect, so I pulled out the movement and blackened the goldy hands with a felt-tip pen which did help a bit.
That is awesome! And yes that's exactly why I prefer numerals on my watches 😁
I quite love the 90’s vibe here and especially on leather.
Thank you, the gold bracelet gives me Miami Vice kinda vibes as well 😂
Thanks for the review! You've given me some ideas, I don't currently own a Casio. I had been focusing on Gshocks as a possibility but I just can't seem to feel a connection. I should probably look at some other Casio products for a potential match.
Thanks for the review! You've given me some ideas, I don't currently own a Casio. I had been focusing on Gshocks as a possibility but I just can't seem to feel a connection. I should probably look at some other Casio products for a potential match.
Thank you! I respect G Shocks, but I guess similarly I just didn't have a connection with any of them. The catalogue is huge, have fun!
Good review! I need another retro and this ani-digi’s a good fit!
Looks so good on that leather strap… Great review 👍
Good review! I need another retro and this ani-digi’s a good fit!
Thank you! Your comment makes me wonder if many of us are drawn to retro designs as well outside of watches 🤔
Looks so good on that leather strap… Great review 👍
Thank you very much! I did buy the watch with full intention of turning it into a dressy piece so, that means a lot!
You know, I have the silver version with the white dial and I agree it is a great watch. I only wish it had a stainless steel case like the Armitron Ridgemont, which is about the same price.
You know, I have the silver version with the white dial and I agree it is a great watch. I only wish it had a stainless steel case like the Armitron Ridgemont, which is about the same price.
I don't mind that it's plastic but yes, SS would have been better. I guess it's the price we pay for the name Casio on the dial 😂