Casio’s King of Ultra-Budget Watches Just Got a Sleek Makeover

The stalwart F91W is transformed into a monochromatic and minimalist masterpiece.

Published July 8, 2024

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The Casio F-91W is an absolute legend. A classic digital watch design that’s packed with features and can easily be found for under 20 bucks, it’s no wonder why Casio’s most affordable icon has found its way into the collections of so many watch enthusiasts.

But just because a watch is iconic doesn’t mean its winning design formula can’t be tweaked every so often. After all, without such experimentation, we would be denied the existence of such awesome watches as the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy, the all-gold Rolex Deepsea and the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, all of which spat in the face of tradition in the best way possible.

Now we can add Casio’s F-91W to the list of iconic watches that dared to mess with perfection, as the Japanese brand has unveiled a new minimalist and monochromatic take on its ultimate budget watch.

Casio F-91WB

$27 at Casio

A More Modern Digital Watch

Casio’s new take on the F-91W is called the F-91WB, and it makes a few key changes to the classic design.

First, you’ll notice it has a cleaner overall aesthetic, which it achieves in a couple of different ways. The new watch features less text on the dial, with all writing above and below the LCD screen being eliminated save for “Casio F-91W” up top and “WR” (for water resistance) on the bottom. The labels for the buttons are now mounted vertically on either side of the screen and have been minimized to their most basic text.

blue casio watch — The monochromatic makeover gives the new F-91W watches a more contemporary vibe.

Next is the watch’s color scheme. While the classic F-91W features a black case and bracelet, its dial features a mix of blue, red and yellow accents. The new versions are entirely monochromatic.

Available in all white (F-91WB-7A), blue (F-91WB-2A1), gray (F-91WB-8A) or black (F-91WB-1A) versions, each features a single color for the case, bracelet and dial with only a second color used for the dial text. The white version features gray text, the gray style has gold text, and the black and blue models both sport white text.

casio watch — The original F-91W, seen here, features a far busier and more colorful dial compared to the sleek new versions.

The final update is one you’re less likely to notice but remains a welcome change. It’s the use of a bio-based resin for the strap, making the new F-91WB more environmentally friendly than the original F-91W. With the new strap, the watch weighs exactly the same as the original watch, keeping the icon’s beloved low weight of 21g intact.

All other specs and functions — including the annual calendar, alarm and 1/100th chronograph complications — remain the same between the old and new quartz-powered F-91W watches.

Pricing and Availability

Casio has announced the F-91WB for the Japanese market for a price of 4,400 yen, which translates to around $27 — about $4 more than the standard F-91W’s SRP (though you can often find one on Amazon for 15 bucks or so).

However, the standard F-91W retails for just 2,200 yen in Japan, making this new version twice as expensive. So there’s a chance the F-91WB could retail for around $50 once it makes its way to the U.S. … assuming it does, anyway.

The brand has not yet revealed whether or not the F-91WB will be sold on this side of the Pacific, but I can’t imagine any reason why it wouldn’t be sold here as it’s not a limited edition. The Japan version goes on sale later this month, and I expect it to roll out in the U.S. (hopefully) not long after that.

Casio F-91WB

A reimagining of Casio’s legendary affordable digital watch, this modernized take on the F91W features less dial text, a cleaner monochromatic color scheme, and it made of more environmentally friendly materials.