Casio B640WB-1BEF Review - The Digital Watch Batman Would Love
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Despite their low retail price, the Casio digital models offer arguably the best value for money in the watch world. I’ve been a big fan for years and I’ve owned and showcased a few of them before on this blog.
Amazon kindly stepped up and offered me a couple of complimentary products to feature on here and my YouTube channel and there was one that instantly sprung to mind. I’d seen a full blackout retro-look Casio on the site a few months ago and had it sitting on my Amazon wish list. Therefore, I couldn’t help but make that my very first choice.
Currently this retails for £39; though pre-virus it was more like £30. Either way, that’s more than the other Casio’s I’ve covered previously mentioned…so is it worth that extra cost?
Functionality
Functionally, you actually get some upgrades here. Firstly, you get increased water resistance, if that’s even possible?! I know previous Casio digital watches have a legendary reputation when it comes to marine performance, though they were only ever marketed as having a mere 30m of water resistance. As you can see from the text below the logo, this B640 advertises 5bar, meaning it should be even better in this regard. With the brand’s reputation, I wouldn’t be surprised if this watch can endure far more than that.
This one also features the illuminator LED backlight system, not present in some of the very cheapest models. This does give pretty good visibility in the dark, though the performance is somewhat limited by the dark display, which we’ll discuss in a moment. Something else of note is that this backlight system operates slightly differently too. You can either press it once for a 2-second burst of light or hold it down, to keep the orange LED on.
Watch Module
The module as a whole offers typical features, such as a stopwatch, countdown timer and alarms, though the pusher arrangement is slightly different than the other Casio’s I’m familiar with. The light occupying the top right, whilst the adjustment button is recessed into the case at the top-left. Given my limited time with the watch, I can’t give an exact figure when it comes to battery life; however, based on my experience with similar previous models, you can expect many, many years of service. Something to note is that this B640 only displays the date in American format, even those sold in European markets, meaning it could take a bit of getting used to. I don’t think there’s a way to change it either.
Colour
As the title suggests, even Bruce Wayne would envy the dark colourway present here. Everything is black, from the PVD steel bracelet to the resin case. Even the display is inverted, with the text appearing off-white against a black backdrop. While it looks cool, I have to admit it’s far from the most legible. When shadowed or at any steep angle, the characters are tricky to make out compared to the traditional-style displays. This is a little disappointing for me, as I thought it looked awesome from the pictures.
As such, unless you really like the aesthetics of this, I’d recommend opting for the other version of this watch, which features a regular display; that alternative also costs even less at the time of publishing.
The resin case is probably the best I’ve felt on these low-end Casios. Its surface is lightly textured, giving more of a matte finish than the likes of the F91. I think this looks slightly better and matches surprisingly well with the brushed black bracelet.
Watch Bracelet
As with other cheap bracelets, this one isn’t great. It’s simple folded links which could be hair pinchers if you have a bushy arm. Nevertheless, it’s hard to expect much more for this price; at least these are stainless steel and not some cheaper alloy, so it should have half-decent durability. You can also adjust these freely to suit your wrist size. If you want to change the bracelet for an alternative, you can easily remove it via the lugs, which feature open shoulders for easy access.
Unsurprisingly, the overall comfort is still great. As you can tell, it’s fairly small, at just 35mm in diameter, with a depth of 9.5mm and a lug to lug of just 39mm. If you’re familiar with some of the other Casio models, then I’ve found this wears much more like the A168; rather than the smaller A158 and F91 models. It’s a tiny bit chunky but should wear fine on small to average sized wrists.
Case
The lightweight case means this can go somewhat unnoticed on-wrist, this will get you through any tasks without getting in the way. That’s one of the key differences between Casios like this and the plastic Swatch I looked at a few weeks back. Both watches are essentially made of the same stuff, so are both pretty comfortable to wear. However, these Casios are better sized and are designed to be used and abused; not so much as a fashion statement. So, when you inevitably scratch or scrape the low-end materials, it doesn’t matter; if anything, it adds to the character of the watch. With those Swatches, when you damage them, you’ve harmed the appearance of a watch that is worn primarily for it’s appearance. Not to mention, I think the resin here is better quality and is obtainable for a lower cost than those Swiss models.
Like the Swatches, you just get acrylic crystal over the dial, which should offer some impact resistance; though will scratch over time. This is fine for a £30 watch of this style.
The only other part of this watch that isn’t black is the case rear, which is a stainless steel plate, held in place by 4 screws. On which you’re informed that the watch is made in China.
Should you get one?
As a whole, I like the watch, however, I find myself picking other Casios over this one. I like the versatility of the silver watches and they give more of that stylish retro look than this dark one. It’s not quite different enough in appearance to my F91 either, so it’s failed to find a true place in the rotation at this point in time.
It’s a good watch, it’s just not quite for me as I’d first thought.
