The Casio AE-1200W
Casio AE-1200W
Casio, the greatest manufacturer of digital watches in the history of horology, from game watches to calculators, they’ve done a lot of experimentation. Despite their prolific watchmaking, apart from the G-Shock series and the classic F-91W, there isn’t really many notable models in their collection. That is, except for the Casio Royale. The Casio Royale is a special watch, regardless of most people dismissing it as a regular old Casio, its nickname goes far beyond an appearance in a movie and its functionality makes it desirable for travel, sports, and other activities. Along with being an excellent alternative to the G-Shock.
The Casio Royale was released in 2012, perhaps to coincide with the premier of James Bond’s Skyfall, and made to be a rugged sports watch. With its 10-year battery, 100m water resistance, a world timer function, along with the traditional stopwatch and 5 alarms – the Casio Royale could’ve been made for Bond himself. Although the Casio Royale, otherwise known as the Casio AE-1200W, can be confused as having been worn in Casino Royale (2006), it is actually known for its similarities to James Bond’s Seiko Sports 100; worn by Roger Moore in Octopussy (1983). There are a few other digital Seikos worn by Bond throughout the late 1970s and 80s, but the G757 Sports 100 got some especially close-up shots in the film and stood out for its peculiar shape. It was given to James Bond by Q and installed with a tracker to find the Fabergé egg Bond was to retrieve. Today, this Seiko commands a pretty steep price for a digital watch, sometimes nearing 4 figures for models in good shape. Moreover, Seiko stopped producing them, so the market for the affordable alternative/homage, the Casio Royale, has been growing. In fact, the Casio Royale is really reminiscent of the Seiko Alpinist in regards to the cult following that has grown around it. Not to say that its supply is anywhere as low as that of the Alpinist. One day, when they stop making the Casio Royale AE-1200W too, we’ll see if it can follow the Seiko G757 and have its price going from $30 to $500+.