Teddy Baldassarre
Casio Duro
It’s hard to believe that the Casio Duro has only been around for fourteen years now. It’s been at the top of affordable dive watch lists so consistently that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s been around since the 1990s, but indeed, 2011 was the year this S-tier value proposition hit the market. The original Casio Duro MDV-106 was a mainstream success, selling over 600,000 units in its first decade. And it’s not difficult to understand why the Duro was such a crowd pleaser: a 200-meter water-resistant diver with classically appealing sporty aesthetics and genuinely nice finishing for $50 at launch (it retails for a still downright cheap $70 these days). Even for a brand known for its affordable classics, Casio had a genuine hit on its hands and over the years added colorways like blue and gilt, along with several bezel variants. And, of course, being the watch of choice for Bill Gates certainly didn’t hurt in cementing the Duro’s reputation. Here, I will get into why the Casio Duro is one of the best affordable offerings of the last quarter of a decade. And since I know you’re thinking it, I’ll begin by addressing the smaller 38mm model and why I don’t categorize it as a “True Casio Duro.” Casio Duro Case and Wearability: Let’s start with the admission of the fact that the 44mm case size is the Casio Duro’s biggest flaw. Yes, it’s a pretty big diver measuring 44.2mm wide and 12.1mm thick with a lug-to-lug height of 48.5mm. To address the no...
