Casio AE1200 Review: This $30 World Time Watch Is More Relevant Than Ever

The Casio AE1200 World Time watch aka the Casio Royale is one of the most beloved and functionally robust watches on the market, digital or otherwise. The world map display on the dial along with that circular “analog” subdial have captured the imagination and wrist real estate of so many enthusiasts over the years who find themselves caught between the relative hassle of a mechanical world time watch and the malaise onset by an over-reliance on smart phones.

You can trace this watch back nearly 40 years to the Casio “Twin-Graph” AE-20 and AE-200 watches, which had an LCD screen that was divided into both analog-style and digital display sections. Also released just shortly after in 1987 was the W-50U, which had a world-map display on the screen. In 2012 we saw the launch of the Casio AE1200 which has gone on to be one of the most beloved and popular digital watches out there.

The "Casio Royale"

So, why is the watch referred to as the Casio Royale? Well, it’s actually a pretty flimsy explanation but the name has certainly stuck. In the 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy, Roger Moore wears a Seiko G757 Sports 100 watch that gets a lot of closeup screen time. The resemblance between the Casio AE1200 and the Seiko G757 is uncanny so it’s not hard to see why fans connected the two. And, of course, the name Casio Royale is also a playful reference to “Casino Royale,” another Bond movie. And while “Casio” and “Casino” aren’t exactly orthographic neighbors, that “n” has done a lot of heavy lifting in the popularization of this nickname.

Casio AE1200 Case and Strap

So, with the background established, let’s get into the Casio AE1200 starting with the case. The very slightly rectangular case of the “Casio Royale” measures 39.5mm wide and 12.5mm thick, with a 45mm lug-to-lug height (100 meters of water resistance). I would say it wears closer to a true 40mm because the pushers add another couple of millimeters to the width along with the fact that square watches tend to wear on the bigger side of their measurement. Considering the way information is displayed on the dial, I think this is an ideal case size that gives enough of a canvas while not being distractingly large. For comparison, the F-91W is 35.2mm wide and 8.5mm thick, with a 38.2mm height. Of course, the sheer gap in functionality between the two makes it so this comparison is just for reference.

That said, the case is indeed a little chunkier than I would like. The case and strap here are both done in resin (aka plastic), so while it’s not the highest end, it is very lightweight, coming in at 39 grams. I’ll get into the strap and bracelet options later when I go through the different variations, but the lug width is 18mm and there are certainly a lot of people who choose to change it out for an aftermarket strap. 

Casio AE1200 Movement and Functions

The display of the Casio AE1200 is inspired by instrument panels and digital watches from the 1980s. As for the insides, it has a 10-year battery life and runs on the 3299 module, which packs so much impressive functionality in one inexpensive package. The wide lower screen tells the home time as well as day and date with the “Mode” button on the left side, allowing you to sort through world time, alarm (5 daily or one-time alarms as well as an hourly time signal), countdown timer (1/10 second, with input range of 1 second to 24-hours in increments of 1 second, 1 minute, and 1 hour), stopwatch (1/100 second, measuring elapsed time, split time, 1st and 2nd place times), and calendar functions. Of course, it’s that world-time function we are all here for, and that dynamic world map on the upper left screen that shows which of the 31 time zones is being displayed. There are also 48 three-letter city codes you can sync the time to as well as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). As for accuracy, you’ve got +-30/seconds per month.

Perhaps most useful is the ability to set four time zones (including home time) that you can quickly run through without cycling through the extra steps of world-time mode. I love the round screen on the upper left side of the dial, which displays analog home time as well as seconds. Oh, and the upper right “Light” button actives the decent-enough backlight on the home-time screen.

It’s hard to argue with just how practical and useful the Casio AE1200 really is, especially if you’re trying to reduce screen time. I, for one, am trying to cut down on relying on my phone for every single thing and this could be a good option for someone who needs to keep track of several time zones on a daily basis. It’s also just an undeniably cool-looking watch that looks like nothing else and costs less than a three-pack of socks from Lululemon.

Casio AE1200 Variants

There are a few variants of the Casio AE1200, starting with the resin strap models that are priced at $30. These are the AE1200WH-1A, which has the classic black case and black strap; the AE1200WH-1CV, which has a silver-colored case and black strap; the AE1200WH-5AV, which has a brown case and black strap; the AE1200WH-1BV, which is also black-on-black, but with a more tan screen with green map.  Then we’ve got the models with a fabric strap that are priced at $43. These are the AE1200WHB-3BV, which is green-on-black with a fabric strap, the AE1200WHB-1BV, which is green-on-black with a black fabric strap; and the AE1200WHUB-8AV, which is grey-on-black with a black fabric strap. Then there is the AE1200WHL-5AV, which has a brown leather strap and is about $50. Finally, there are the steel-bracelet models that are priced at $43. These are the AE1200WHD7AV, which has a grey case, and the AE1200WHD-1A, which has the classic black-and-grey color. 

The Competition

There are three other Casio models that I want to briefly discuss here. First is the WS1600, which has the same case as the AE1200 but different functionality. This is more of a sports timer with a large bar that is a 1/20 second stopwatch, a ten-second stopwatch in a smaller bar below, and a one-minute stopwatch in the circular display to the right. My understanding is this watch is meant for refereeing and sports timing so it’s pretty niche compared to the AE1200. That said, it’s priced the same, at $30.

Second is the A500W, which is another world-time watch albeit with some differences. Most notably, the A500 case is smaller, at 34mm wide and 9.6mm thick with a height of 39mm. While it’s got the functionality, the A500 isn’t as water resistant, doesn’t have the digital/analog time display, and perhaps most importantly has a 3 year battery life instead of 10-year. It’s a bit more expensive at $60, but it also looks like it’s not being sold in North America anymore. The reason for this might be the third watch I wanted to mention, which is the new Casio LF-30. This is basically the same as the A500 but with more contemporary aesthetics, like black, blue, green, and beige resin cases with matching resin straps. These are priced at $30 but do tend to sell out quickly, so I’d be vigilant if looking for one.

Final Thoughts

The Casio AE1200, aka the Casio Royale, is one of the more iconic digital watches out there (though perhaps not as much as the F-91W)and it’s not hard to see why. The world-time functionality has somehow only gotten more useful and practical with time, as well. Why? Because so many of us don’t want to wear a smartwatch or want to spend less time on our phones. And that’s on top of the cheap price tag which is not something you can say for other world timers, mechanical or quartz. In short, we need more watches like the Casio AE1200. You can learn more at casio.com.