Review by Mediapig for Casio Men’s MDV102-1AV Sea Analog Illuminator Dual LED Dive Watch
Rating:
As someone else commented, this watch is reminiscent of the Omega “Planet Ocean” watch, as worn by Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond film. I wouldn’t call it a knockoff, it just has a similar style to it. For under $50, it’s a solid, attractive, and classically masculine watch, and definitely fills the role I purchased it for.

It even features a Bond style gadget! The illuminator button on the top right activates (2) very bright LED lights behind the 12 and 6 positions… the LED’s stay lit for a couple seconds and are very bright white…. you could easily use this watch as a flashlight in a dark room. The watch also features a screw down crown, which I think is a nice high-end feature for such an inexpensive timepiece.

Unlike almost every other review here, I had no problems at all with the strap… Mine is very soft and comfortable. Not sure if Casio changed it, or if I just have different tastes, but really, I find the watch a pleasure to wear as is.

Sure, this watch is no Omega or Rolex, but for the money, I think it’s a solid, attractive, and functional piece, that packs a hell of a lot of style into an affordable package.

4/17/09

Just wanted to add, I’ve had the watch for some time now, and I still have no problems with the strap… again, not sure if Casio changed it out, or if I’m just in the minority, but I think it’s quite comfortable.

Also, another positive feature is the luminosity of the watch… after a normal day’s wear, I have no trouble seeing the watch in the dark, and don’t even need to use the LED function to tell the time. They used two colors of luminous paint as well… a light blue for the markers, and traditional green for the hands, which is kind of neat. All in all, I still can’t believe this is a sub $50 watch. Great deal!

Review by R. Candy for Casio Men’s MDV102-1AV Sea Analog Illuminator Dual LED Dive Watch
Rating:
So here’s the thing: It is a remarkable watch. Heavily built with seemingly solid construction. Very easy to read, beautiful to look at and the other reviews are right: The two LEDs are stunningly bright. You will NEVER have a problem reading this in the dark. It is an exceptional time piece and a ridiculous value. The ratchet works very well, the screw down crown is as smooth as you would expect from a very high end watch. This could easily be priced for a few hundred and would be worth it except for one massive flaw: The band is beyond BAD. It may be one of the great engineering failures of the modern era. It is unbearably stiff and has been designed to dig into your wrist like some kind of medieval torture device. Do not buy this watch unless you buy a replacement strap right up front. I did as a previous review suggested and got the Modena 22mm rubber strap with deployment clasp. I took it out of the box and inside of ten minutes the soft rubber it is made with had begun to collect dust and debris… Which it hung on to with amazing tenacity! On top of that, the clasp is flimsy and poorly made. I tossed that into the can along with the original band. I next ordered a 22mm Seiko diver’s band also from Amzaon. Success at last! A tad stiff but a nice tight fit for the watch. Simple black with a standard buckle. Looks like it was the original strap and is very comfortable.

Here’s the item/part number: 001-seikoOrigRubber22

Well worth the money.