Casio MRW 200H Review: The Allure Of The "Diet G-Shock"

The Casio MRW 200H has been around since 2011 and stands as one of the Japanese brand's most popular analog watches. Unassuming and tough, the MRW 200H is something of a more subtle and casual cousin of sister brand G-Shock. But don’t let that fool you into thinking that it’s not up to the task.

Image by AOPA

In fact, I read something on the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) website about NASA doing some aircraft testing at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and what watch did I happen to notice strapped on the arm of the person wearing the suit cover? Yep, it was a Casio MRW 200H. Obviously, this isn’t the official watch NASA uses (you know which one that is) but it’s a cool endorsement nonetheless.

Casio MRW 200H Case

The specs of the MRW 200H actually make it seem like it would wear larger than it does. The resin case measures 44.6mm wide and 11.6mm thick (with 100 meters of water resistance) but the 47.9mm lug-to-lug measurement ensures that it’s actually not so much of a presence on the wrist that one would mistake it for a G-Shock. There is also a bidirectional rotating bezel which does not have any satisfying clicking action but is easy enough to glide when operated while not unintentionally moving.

The simple, steel, screw-down caseback has some basic specs and info stamped onto it. As you can imagine, there are no frills to be found here. The rest of the black resin case and strap are lightweight though not particularly remarkable in any way (and why would they be?). I do want to mention that the resin glass on the dial is likely prone to scratching easily.

Casio MRW 200H Dial

Beneath said resin glass is the very legible and crisp dial. On this iteration, there are thick white hands and Arabic numerals, which contrast excellently against the matte black dial (and are also lumed decently enough). There’s also a 24-hour tracking along the inner circumference of the dial for that field-watch utility.The day and date window at 3 o’clock also has this white against black color scheme making it very easy to read from even a distance.

Quartz Movement

Inside is the 5125 quartz movement, which is accurate to +-20 seconds/month on paper, though practical testing will typically result in better accuracy. The 5125 runs on the SR626SW battery which has a three-year life and is very very cheap to replace. All in all, it’s a simple yet effective quartz analog movement that should handle whatever you can throw at it.

Iterations and Final Thoughts

There are plenty of options for this watch, with the model you see here being the MRW 200H-1BV. Other models currently available in the United States are the MRW200H-7BV, which has a black case and bezel with a contrasting white dial; the MRW200H-3BV, in a black case with green accents; the MRW200H-2BV, in black with blue accents; the MRW200H-4BV, in black with orange accents; the MRW200HD-1BV, on a steel bracelet with black case with white accents; and the MRW200HD-7BV, on steel bracelet with black bezel and contrasting white dial. All the models on the resin strap, including the MRW 200H-1BV seen here, are priced at $40 while the bracelet models go for $55. Of course, you can find these for a little bit less at some bigger retailers.

The Casio MRW 200H is a testament to the brand’s ability to create rugged and reliable watches outside of the G-Shock umbrella. There are plenty of people (like myself) who appreciate the G-Shock aesthetic but feel much more comfortable with something that blends in a little bit more with a toned-down feel. You can learn more at casio.com.