Casio 'Sapphire' Watch Review (Casio LTP-E148L) - The Retro Casio Watch
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The reign is over.
A legend returns to take the crown.
I’ve titled this post ‘The Daniel Wellington Killer’ for good reason. I think Casio have come up clutch with this model and while it’s not the best watch in the world, I do think it is a stylish, low cost minimalist watch that renders many more expensive fashion watches useless.
If you like the sounds of this Casio, I’ll have it linked throughout this article. Purchases made through that link help this channel out tremendously, so are massively appreciated.
You may be surprised to see Casio branding on a watch like this, as was I when I discovered it on their website. Several of my favourite watches are Casio digital models. These are cheap, hardy and see a great amount of wrist time as a result. They’re also so popular either you or someone you know probably already own one. However, they are far from the epitome of style; the F91 in particular has a reputation as a ‘Dad watch’.
This analogue model however, is radically different. With its modern design and slim case, I think this is their attempt to crush the likes of Daniel Wellington. Unfortunately, I found it extremely difficult to find any information about this watch, so I’ve got no idea when it was introduced.
Nevertheless, here’s a look at the specifications that are provided.
Specifications:
Case diameter: 40mm
Case depth: 7.3mm
Case material: 316L stainless-steel
Glass: Sapphire crystal
Strap: Genuine leather
Movement: Japanese Miyota Quartz
Lug to lug: 46mm
Model Name: Casio LTP-E148L-1AEF
Strap
The default strap is just a simple, stitched one made of genuine leather. This is a low tier of leather and you can tell that this isn’t very high quality. There are no quick release tabs, and the lugs aren’t drilled, but you can change the strap relatively easily, using a spring bar tool. While it’s not a great strap, this is a low-cost watch, so it’s to be expected at this price. To be fair, despite having worn this more, it hasn’t creased as badly as the strap on the Daniel Wellington I recently reviewed.
Furthermore, I can generally forgive rubbish straps if I think money has gone into the rest of the watch; and that is definitely the case with this watch.
Case
The case is made of the industry-standard 316L stainless-steel. This is the same material you’ll find in many more expensive watches and in this Casio, it seems to be of surprisingly good quality, despite the price point. This is better than the plated brass used in similar watches like the Timex Fairfield.
The LTP case has a high-shine finish throughout and has a small crown, to match the minimalist vibe. This one does have some grip and performs just fine when turning. Overall, the proportions of this watch are going to be ideal for loads of guys. 40mm is a good sweet spot, although in an ideal world, I’d love a 38mm version too. That would suit my small wrist size even better. I love how slim the case is. This allows it to sit flush to my wrist and easily lets the watch slip under tight sleeves. If you’re someone with skinny wrists, proportionally, this will still look great too.
Glass
The Casio ‘Sapphire’, as the name suggests, has a killer feature. Sapphire glass. This is top-tier and offers a great level of scratch protection, which is fantastic value, considering the retail price of this piece. The vast majority of watches at this price point have either the slightly weaker mineral glass or acrylic, so this is an excellent selling point for the Casio. It gives you the peace of mind to be able to wear this watch freely, without worrying about scuffs or scrapes. It is to be noted, Sapphire is technically less shatterproof than the other two types of glass, but I’m yet to ever shatter a watch crystal, I don’t find myself dropping my watches or hitting them with a hammer; so, I think for most guys, it’s the best day-to-day choice.
Dial
The design of the dial is one of the key reasons I was drawn to this watch. This offers a classic minimalist aesthetic; with slim hour and second markers around the perimeter. It also has a small second-hand sub-dial towards the bottom of the face. I’d say this watch definitely takes inspiration from some of the similarly designed Nomos models and has some of the typical Bauhaus design cues.
The logo is relatively small, and in the regular central position; whilst the hands are slim and baton style. I’d describe this particular variant as having a slightly off-white dial colour and it does have a slight texture to it when you analyse it up close. I think it gives it a nice finish when compared to some of the plain, flat white dials of other fashion watches. There are some black variants of this watch too, which look absolutely gorgeous; I’m considering picking one of those up for future content.
Overall, this results in a watch that is very versatile and can easily dressed up and down, to suit a variety of occasions. I think this could function well as a low-cost dress option to add to a budget collection.
Casio LTP Movement
Inside this watch is a Miyota 1L45 quartz movement. This is a basic, durable quartz movement that comes in at around £9 to buy individually, it supports the small second hand function of this LTP. Considering the cost of this watch, I’d say this is decent and is a step up from the generic Chinese quartz movements found in many cheap watches.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As a whole, I think the Casio LTP Sapphire offers awesome value for money in the sub-£100 price category. You get an attractive, minimalist watch, with great glass and solid construction for a remarkably low cost. While it’s not realistically going to compete with the likes of Tissot at the next price bracket, I’d take one of these over the more expensive fashion brands like Daniel Wellington any day. These are better quality and you could buy multiple of these for less than the price of one DW.
These are currently retailing for a ridiculously low price on Amazon, If you’re paying less than 80 or 90 pounds, you’re getting a good deal.
With this watch, at this cost, I struggle to find much to criticise. As I briefly mentioned earlier, for my thin wrists, if this was closer to 38mm it might look better. Also, the lugs are a tiny bit on the long side; if they were shorter too, I’d like it even more. A better strap would be optimal too, but really, when you’re spending this little, what can you expect? You’ll likely have plenty of money left over to buy a variety of better straps.
