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Here at Ben’s Watch Club, we go the extra mile. I’m always on the hunt for the best products out there and when it comes to budget watches; digital Casio’s reign supreme. A few months back, we looked at alternatives to the simple black F-91W. A true cult classic.

So, we’re hitting you with a full roundup of the small budget metallic offerings, which tend to offer a bit more of a versatile look than their black counterparts. Think of these as good alternatives to the classic A158 model, the silver brother of the F-91. Please bear in mind, when I say metallic, I do mean that and not metal. While they might look like steel, these are all plated resin. If you’re after a steel digital Casio, check out my review of the A1000 range instead.

But for now, let’s crack on with this comparison and run through each of the contenders.

First up is the original silver Casio, the A158 but also I have the A168, A700, B640, B650, A163, A164, and F91WM for this comparison. All are linked throughout this article, Amazon did send some of these in for review too.

*From left to right: Casio A158, A168, A700, B640, B650, A163, A164 and F91WM*

Rather than taking an eternity to review each individually, we’ll go section by section. First up we’ll cover aesthetics, but then we’ll also talk about the upgrades that some of these alternatives offer; along with which I think is the best choice overall.

While all of these watches look like the original A158, they each have slight nuances.

Differences to the Casio A158

The F-91WM is simply a colour variant of the regular F-91. Therefore it’s nearly identical A158, with some cosmetic differences. Proportionally, it’s the same but does feature hooded lugs and a matte finish case, alongside a greyscale display surround. Other than that, the text arrangement is very comparable; as is the on-wrist presence. With a strap swap, you’d be hard-pressed to notice a difference.

The A164 is also highly akin to the original, with the same colour scheme including a blue border to the display, alongside a variety of red and yellow accents. This model is approximately the same size as the A158 as well, with minor differences, including a wedged cut out of the hooded lugs; to make the bracelet look better integrated.

Despite the codename, its predecessor the A163 looks like a more futuristic version; with a different dial arrangement and a raised, bevelled crystal that looks much better than you might expect. As with the A164, it also features a more retro font style than the original A158 but it does house the same colour scheme once more and despite the unusually shaped lugs, it still provides a very comparable overall look when on-wrist.

The other alternatives on this list give you that retro look, in slightly differently shaped packages.

Alternatively shaped Metallic Casio’s

First up, we have the A700. I’ve covered this watch multiple times before on the blog. It gives you the dark dial silver case look but in a slimmer and squarer package. This is about 30% thinner, whilst retaining the same diameter, meaning it hugs the wrist even better. This comes in two colours (check out the alternative colour variant on Amazon here), with the darker option bearing the strongest resemblance to the A158. The colours are more muted, whilst the case finishing is notably sharper than the previous options, despite still being constructed of resin.

On the flip side, there’s the B640W. This is the silver version of the B640 watch I reviewed last year and rather than being more angular than the original silver Casio, it has curved flanks instead. This features a matte silver finish, like that on the F-91WM, with a dial very similar to that on the A158. The display is slightly different but it’s got the same subtle colouring and approximate sizing, though is a touch deeper. Even though the lug to lug is longer too, it feels almost the same on-wrist as the original.

If you’re after something that does feel bigger, I’ve also picked out two great options. There’s the popular A168 ‘illuminator’. I’ve also covered this watch on the blog before. It’s essentially the bigger brother to the A158, with a slightly wider and thicker case and an even brighter coloured dial. We’ll get onto why it’s called the illuminator later, but if you’re after a bigger silver Casio, this is one option that could fill that void.

If you have larger wrists and think that even the A168 might not cut it, there’s also the B650W. Don’t let the 38mm diameter fool you. This square watch wears larger than you might think. It’s 20% thicker, over 10% wider and has a much longer lug to lug than the small A158. Despite the notable size difference, it does feature a design reminiscent of the original, with the same overall colour scheme and button arrangement; only this time housing a matte finish case.

So, that’s a rundown of the competitors. There are plenty to choose from but what incentives are there to upgrade from the traditional legend?

Should you upgrade from the Casio A158?

Well, let's take a look at the weaknesses of that watch. First of all, it scratches rather easily and the bracelet is a hair ripper. The water-resistance could also be better and finally, the backlight is pretty awful. For the incredibly low price, those compromises are to be expected, though some of these other options do have some improvements if you’re willing to dish out slightly more to obtain them.

In terms of scratches, because most of these watches use the same materials, they’re going to suffer from scrapes to the same degree. According to some sources, the A700 uses mineral crystal, rather than the acrylic present on the other models; so that should mean better scratch resistance. As I wear the A700 all the time, I didn’t want to scratch the watch to test this; though the thin crystal in place does feel like acrylic. Perhaps this is a very thin piece of mineral, in which case, it’s the best here.

Other than that, it’s worth considering the upsides of the matte finish cases used on the F-91WM, the B640 and B650. While they may technically scratch as easily as the high-shine options, you’ll likely notice them less against the nonglossy surface.

Two options offer improved bracelets over the original. That being the A700 and B650. If you found the A158 bracelet to tug, then these two have fewer openings, for hairs to get trapped in. The alternative A700 colourway (check it out on Amazon here) also comes fitted with an even better mesh bracelet.

Only two of these alternative stated aquatic improvement over the original. That being the pair of B series watches. Both the 640 and 650 have a 5bar rating, meaning they should hold up better when submerged. That being said, Casio watches generally have a good reputation for outperforming their ratings, just be aware that your warranty may be voided if water enters the module.

Fortunately, many more of the watches in this line-up improve upon the poor side-light found in the original; well, aside from the F-91, A163 and A164, which house the same old system that you’re familiar with. The B650 uses a single light system too, yet it is significantly brighter and more usable. The smaller B640 surprisingly improves on this with a notably clearer dual side-light setup that easily illuminates the whole display, rather than just half of it.

Nevertheless, the best backlights are those in the A700 and A168. The A700 seems to use some form of modified side-light system, but it’s much brighter than the previous models with this LED technology. It’s about as clear as that on the A168. This model is called the illuminator because of this blue electroluminescent night-light, which is extremely strong and legible. It probably edges the A700 for the win here, but either is among the best you’ll find on budget wristwatches.

Not only do all of these watches look like brothers from another mother but their modules seem to be transplanted too. All of these pieces offer basic alarm and stopwatch functionality with a three-button arrangement, whilst the B640 also offers a customisable 24-hour countdown timer. You can also enable a special flash function that will flash the LED backlight when alarms go off or timers hit zero. This could be useful for the hard of hearing, who may not be responsive to the typical beeping noises. This module also has a different button arrangement, with two regular pushers on the right side and a recessed adjustment button on the top left, above the standard mode pusher. A quick note though, by default, the date on this model is set in American format. If you’re from the UK and not aware of that, it could cause some confusion; but the extra operations are appreciated nonetheless.

Casio digitals tend to have some of the best viewing angles in the industry. Honestly, all of these are about the same, which is no surprise considering several of them use the same module.

Which Silver Digital Casio Watch is Best?

So, which of these watches do I think is best and which should you buy? Well, I’ve come to a rather unusual conclusion. My clear favourite is the A700. I think it looks the coolest, with its super slick profile and I appreciate the sharper angles on the case. If it is mineral too, then that is a material advantage over the others.

That being said, after having created this post and tried all the options, perhaps it’s not the best. I think for average to slim wrists, you could make the case that the B640 is the best raw value for money out of these little silver digitals. It’s got a serviceable backlight, the best water performance and a case that will help to conceal some of the scratches. Not to mention that the matte finish integrates better with the brushed stock bracelet. All for a price that undercuts the A700.

For bigger wrists and those wanting a larger watch, I quite like the B650. Once more you get the better water resistance, along with a matte case and a usable side-light. Weirdly, I wasn’t a fan of the black version of this model, which featured in the previous roundup, however I quite like this one despite its chunkiness.

While I wouldn’t encourage you to avoid any of these watches, I will give you a word of warning. From what I can gather the A163 and A164 are functionally identical to the A158, so don’t spend a chunk more expecting an upgrade; because there doesn’t seem to be any. These are just cosmetic variants with the same performance, which I didn’t realise when I ordered them.

All the options are linked below if you would like to check them out:

A158 - Amazon
A168 - Amazon or Casio UK
A700 - Amazon or Casio UK
B640 - Amazon
B650 - Amazon
A163 - Amazon or Casio UK
A164 - Amazon or Casio UK
F-91WM - Amazon

Disclaimer: Thanks to Amazon for covering the cost of the A164, A700, B640, B650, and F-91WM for this comparison. The A158, A168, and A163 were all purchased separately with my own money.