In this article we will be doing a Casio A168 review. This is another popular watch in Casio’s retro line. Casio’s retro series, is a modern resurrection of their watch styles that were popular during the 80’s and 90’s. Bringing back these styles creates a sense of nostalgia for older fans who are familiar with the styles from back in the day. For younger fans, they get a chance to sample styles from Casio’s history past.
The Casio A168 is one of the more popular models in Casio’s retro series. It is a direct successor to the A158, which we have previously reviewed. But we are not here to compare the A168 to the A158. We have, in fact, we have already done just that! Instead, we are here to focus on just the A168.
When looking at this watch, we will be closely examining the main factors that are important in a watch. Those are, it’s build quality, design, features, and price. So with all that being said, let’s go ahead and take a look at this classic styled watch.
Casio A168 Review
The first thing we are going to look at in this watch are the specifications
Specs
- Case is 35mm in diameter, and 9.8mm thick.
- Band is 18 mm wide.
- It utilizes a digital display.
- Functions on quartz movement.
Build Quality
The next thing to look at here is the build quality. This is definitely one of Casio’s best qualities. They are known for producing quality watches that are durable, and stand the test of time. I’m sure we’re all familiar with their popular G-Shock line of watches!
Anyway, the Casio A168 has a case made of resin that is painted silver to match the rest of the watch. The back of the case is stainless steel. It’s dial window is made of mineral crystal. The band is made of stainless steel. You don’t get much in the way of water resistance. It has a water resistance of 30 meters, which will withstand splashes of water, but I wouldn’t go swimming in it.
Ultimately the build is pretty average for a Casio watch. There is nothing extraordinary about the build. But it is more than sufficient for this price range.
The next part to examine on this watch would be its design.
Design
Like we talked about before, the design of the Casio A168 is decidedly retro. Both the case and band are silver in color. The watch case has a square design to it. The band has a slim segmented chain link design. Overall, the A168 is slimmer, low profile kind of watch, which I like.
The buttons to control the watch are located on either side, with two of them on the left side, and one on the right side. There is text on the watch face near the buttons that label them. The top left is for the light, the bottom left is the mode button, and the right button is the start/stop button.
There is also other colorful text on the watch face. At the very top is the “Casio” name brand text. The only other text of special note is that it puts an emphasis on its backlight ability, which we will get into later. But just above the digital display window, you can see the word “ElectroLuminescence” highlighted in blue. Also again, just under the digital display is the text ‘Illuminator” displayed in red.
I do like the overall design of the Casio A168, but I feel like the watch face is a bit cluttered with all of the bright text. It wouldn’t be as bad if it was lower profile, like in the A158, but I suppose this is just a minor complaint.
Next, we’ll get into the features of this watch.
Features
Being a budget watch, the features here are as simple and standard as they come. Pressing the mode button will change the watch from time, to date, to timer mode. And once you are in your mode of choice, the settings are adjusted with the start/stop button. This applies to each mode, so that is how you would adjust the settings.
The light button activates the light that this watch has been advertising about itself on the display. The special thing of note about this light is that it is noticeably brighter than the previous A158. The light is neon green, and will allow you to easily see the display in the dark. This is a huge improvement over the A158, where the light was barely visible in the dark.
I’ve mentioned that this is a budget watch, so I’m sure by now you are pretty curious about the price of this watch.
Pricing
Well you will be happy to know that the price of this watch will not set you back much. Casio knows affordability, and the A168 is an excellent example of this, coming in at an absolute bargain. It is true that Casio’s retro watches are already pretty inexpensive, but the A168 is cheap even among others in that space!
Final Thoughts On The Casio A168. Is It Worth Getting?
The Casio A168 is definitely a good looking watch. It has a slim, simplistic appearance with that retro flair. Add to that how inexpensive it is, plus the improved backlighting, and this is a good deal for this watch.
As great as all of this is, I would personally rather go with the A158 though. That’s simply my own personal preference. I know that the backlighting is inferior, but I like the smaller footprint the text on the watch face leaves behind. The text on the A168 is bright, and in my opinion, takes away from the aesthetics of the watch. Whereas the text on the A158, is not as noticeable, and blends in better.
Ultimately though, it’s your choice on what watch you like, and why you like it! But that’s it for our Casio A168 review! If you found it informative, and want to check out some of our other individual watch and watch brand reviews, you can do so here
