Casio Edifice Review (EFV-110D) | This Watch Has Left Me Speechless
(This page features affiliate links, for more information on them click here.)
When people talk about a one watch collection, they’re generally referring to a single watch that works well in almost any environment or situation. I’ve found a watch that perfectly fits that description…and it’s only £50.
A few weeks ago, I covered an exceptionally good Casio, which was credited as possibly the best £50 watch around. As I mentioned in that article, I’d seen another Casio that looked extremely promising, with similarly great specifications for a comparable price. As such, I got this shipped from Amazon and I’ve been testing it over the last month to see how it compares to that previous model.
And you know what? It saddens me.
Not the watch, but the knowledge that Casio will likely fail to give this watch any sort of marketing and in a couple of years, it will probably end up in the discontinued pile; because this is a cracking bit of kit for £50.
Unlike the majority of their watches, this actually comes in slightly higher-quality packaging, with a proper gift box emblazoned with the edifice logo.
Watch Size
Within is the Casio Edifice EFV-110D. According to some outlets, this is a women’s or unisex watch, though most retailers do have this listed as a men’s watch. Personally, given the styling, I can’t imagine a woman wearing this despite the small size.
Indeed, this is a pretty diminutive watch, though interestingly there’s also a larger version of this same watch, the EFV-100D. I’ll have both linked throughout the post if you want to get one for yourself. As someone with smaller wrists, I opted for the smaller option, as it comes in at just 35mm in diameter (excluding the crown), 9.6mm deep and a short lug to lug of just 41.8mm. The bigger piece is sized at 40mm, 11mm and 47.5mm respectively for those same measurement. For skinny wrists, no larger than around 6.5 inches, I’d recommend looking at the 110D, but if you’re wrists are larger than that, I’d imagine the 100D would be the size to go for. Both watches have exactly the same design and specifications, in case you were wondering.
I love it when manufacturers offer a range of sizes, so that more of us can enjoy these great watches. This one is incredibly comfortable on my 6¼ inch wrist and
Case
Let’s get onto some of those awesome specifications then. This watch is fully constructed of 316L stainless steel, paired with a stainless-steel bracelet to boot. Many fashion brands brag about using this durable material in their £150 watches, you can get this industry-standard material for a third of that with this Casio. I must say, the finishing here is definitely the best I’ve seen in a watch at this price point too, possibly the best in any watch I’ve reviewed for under £100. The design is intricate with interlaced brushed and polished finishes, creating a swooping design reminiscent of the Seiko SARB line. In fact, when combined with the sharp, angular crown guards; the side profile reminds me of a starfighter from Star Wars, which is super cool. It looks both sleek and aggressive at the same time. This is the type of case you’d normally find on a £150-£200 watch, if not better.
With the glossy bezel, this definitely has hints of Rolex Explorer about it.
Here’s a question. How often do you find a screw down crown or a screw down case-back on a £50 watch? The answer is almost never. Remarkably, the Casio EFV-110D has both. While the crown could do with some extra grip, it is signed with the Edifice logo and is very well-protected thanks to the guards and of course forms a great seal from liquids. Combined with the simple but effective case-back, you get an advertised 100m of water resistance when in place. I’ve showered in this watch on several occasions and found no issues, though this watch should easily handle more demanding activities like swimming without a problem. This makes it all the more practical and reliable, meaning I can wear this with complete peace of mind. There are a few watches around or below this price point that offer similar water performance, though several of those sacrifice things such as materials and finishing; with this Edifice, neither corner is cut.
Dial
Aesthetically, you get a fairly sporty look, with a dark grey near-black dial with a subtle sunburst effect that looks more premium than you might expect. You can’t see it too much indoors, though in brighter conditions, it really comes into its own. There are other colour variants available, though this one is my pick. The applied indices at each hour also look gorgeous and are surprisingly sharp when you analyse them closely. As you rotate the watch, they play with the light very nicely thanks to their glossy bevelled edges and the white lume within really fits the overall colourway.
At the 3 o’clock position, one of the hour markers is cut away to reveal the white date window. Thankfully, this also fits in seamlessly and arguably looks better than a black date wheel would, despite the dark dial. It’s height and width closely match the other markers, allowing it to slide in unnoticed.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice some microscopic engraved rings on the chapter ring. While on this smaller model, they are barely visible, it gives another indication of how much effort has clearly gone into this dial. The extra touches have not been forgotten. The logo is inked in the regular position. While I don’t mind how this looks, I think a single line of text with the image would probably look better.
Watch Hands
I feel like the handset is also a great choice. The glossy, faceted hour and minute hands match exquisitely with the polished bezel and indices, resulting in a very consistent look. I’m not normally a fan of arrow hour hands, but this one is so well-sized, I can’t help but love its implementation. It contributes to the watch being extremely legible, despite the small size and gives a sporty vibe without being over the top.
The addition of yellow text and a yellow-tipped second hand prevents this watch from looking generic and boring. This is an extended arrow hand with a rather long point that precisely indicates each second as it ticks along. Once more, this hand is lumed and overall, the luminescence is reasonable with that on the hands outperforming that present on the markers.
Movement
I seem to be on a streak with these Casio’s as once again this unit seems very well-aligned with the second hand consistently hitting every second indicator as it moves its way around the face. This features a similar sort of quartz movement to that in the ‘Sapphire’ watch I previously reviewed and again it seems to be very consistent, with very little recoil or variance per tick; which is great. According to the brand, the battery within has approximately a 3-year battery life, which is respectable. The great thing is, as this model is quartz, the watch retains a lot of its slimness, making it a lot thinner than comparable mechanical watches, such as the Invicta Pro Diver for instance, which makes it a dream to slip under tight sleeves. When combined with the 87-gram weight, it is definitely the most comfortable sports watch I’ve ever owned.
Watch Glass
Over the dial, this is rocking a simple piece of flat mineral glass, which is the norm at this cost and will give some scratch resistance; though reflections can give you some hassle.
Bracelet
The 18mm bracelet is also worth a mention as it’s certainly better than average for such a low-cost watch. At first, I thought these were solid links, though when you look closely enough, you can see they are folded links disguised as solid ones; despite being pretty convincing. As you might expect, the end links are also hollow, however, it certainly has a few things going for it. Firstly, it matches very well with the case, featuring the same type of finishes across the surface. The press-release clasp not only looks good but functions much better than the cheap, awful clasps present on other low-end watches I’ve tried. This makes taking the watch on and off extremely convenient and certainly saves your fingernails. It only has two micro-adjustments, which is somewhat of a shame, though the bracelet is very comfortable as a whole and I can’t say its pinched hairs even once in over a month.
Flexibility extends all the way to the top of the bracelet, meaning it should accommodate even the smallest of wrists. While it’s a little jangly, it’s much better than the majority of rival offerings and absolutely wearable for most users. Alternatively, a 18mm NATO strap would look great with this watch and the narrow case would have no problems combating the added depth.
Casio EFV-110D Vs Casio MTS-100L
As you can tell, I think this is an incredible watch for the money, but how does it compare to that Casio I reviewed recently? Well, here’s the score.
The dial aesthetics are down to your personal preference. Personally, I’d say I prefer that MTS-100L, though not by much, both are very handsome watches. Obviously, that watch also has the sapphire crystal, which will inherently give you better scratch resistance than the mineral found in this watch. However, this watch has a better strap, or bracelet in this case. The case finishing is sharper and better too and the extra water resistance could certainly come in handy if you’re after a do-it all watch.
That ‘Sapphire’ one is more suited to dressy environments, whilst I think this could probably be dressed up or down more easily to suit different occasions. I really like both watches but this is probably my favourite and the smaller sizing option is the clincher for me.
This feels so great that I’m stunned it’s available for so little money. Great job Casio…now please keep this watch around and give it some love! When you put this up against some other watches that claim to be ‘affordable luxury’…well, I’m lost for words; in fact, there’s no need for words.
