Casio brought digital watches to the market in 1974 and one of the earliest is Model 1 a round dial digital LCD quartz watch. Recently, in Casio's Vintage 1974 line, Casio put out a modern version of that watch called the Casio A171WE-1A. When I first saw it, I knew I had to get one. I don't remember ever seeing the original Casiotrons in the wild. I do remember getting my first Casio in the 80s and some people calling it a Casiotron. I didn't know the now storied history of Casio and I thought it had something to do with the movie Tron, or with the Transformers character Megatron.
For me, the Casio A171WE-1A looked like a business ready F-91W. My father has worn a Casio A168W-1 Illuminator for years. He really loves that watch. When I saw the Casio A171WE-1A, I knew it was closer to a F-91W than and Illuminator and that was a bit of a let down. If they made it with a 40mm metal case, and a big digit Illuminator module behind a sapphire crystal, I would gladly pay much more money. Even in its current state, I liked it enough to buy two when JC Penney had them on sale for Black Friday.
Comparing the Casio A171WE-1A to an F-91W is about as close as it gets. The features and functions are very much the same. The Casio A171WE-1A seems a little more classy with its stamped metal bracelet and chromed resin case. The style cues are all there and yet the Casio A171WE-1A seems to have better symmetry with the Casio logo being centered. It is also a bit cleaner design overall while staying true to the well loved Casio style. Water WR Resist is there at the bottom, making me think it is safe for the rain and washing hands. Alarm and Chrono are also similar features to the F-91W.
When compared to other watches that I wear the Casio A171WE-1A is quite small. Not so small, that I wouldn't wear it, but small enough that it looks more impressive on my kids wrists than on my own. I think this is appropriate for a retro watch from a series called Vintage 1974. According to Casio the case size is 38.8 mm × 37.7 mm × 9.2 mm (L× W× H). In reality it seems very small when compared to a 40.5 mm case diameter of my Seiko SRPB41 Blue Moon Cocktail Time watch and even smaller when compared to the Casio MDV106-1A Duro with it's 44.2 mm case diameter. The 9.2 mm height makes it slip effortlessly under dress shirts. It peaks out from underneath while looking classy and retro at the same time.
The Casio A171WE-1A is a great watch that you will want to wear often. It is thin and lightweight making it very comfortable. It is stylish and effortless while sparking nostalgia in others. When you compare it to the original Casiotron is has heritage and a story, while still being a new fresh take on things. If you have slender wrists it does especially well. It is fun, affordable, stylish, retro and classy watch that anyone can appreciate.