While many people think of the Rolex Submariner when asked to picture a dive watch, iconic models exist at every price point. Not only that, but quality exists too. The Casio Duro is loved by watch collectors of all budgets for its classic looks and great build quality, all for under $100. Surprisingly, I had never owned or reviewed one until now. I picked one up to see for myself if it lives up to the hype.
Casio Duro First Impressions
The Duro is available in a number of colorways. Most variants have black dials, with either a black, green, blue-and-black "Batman," or blue-and-red "Pepsi" bezel insert. There is also a black model with a gold bezel, and a Pepsi with a stainless steel bracelet. The blue bezel variant shown here also has an attractive blue dial with a sunburst finish.
I found the blue version for a slightly lower cost, but its dial makes it look more expensive. It's slightly less "tool watchy" but more interesting to look at in different lighting conditions.
Casio Duro Details
The dial is simple, featuring minimal text. You'll only find a Casio logo, water resistance, and the Marlin graphic (a symbol that Casio has historically used on 200m dive watches). A small note of "Japan Mov't" hides at 6.
A black-on-white date window sits inside a while border at 3 next to a small lume plot. The remaining hour markers are lume inside a polished silver border.
The polished metal hour markers are surprisingly sharp for the price, as many less expensive watches have lume printed right on the dial, or are raised through a light stamping if you're lucky. A basic white-on-blue chapter ring borders everything.
A polished finish is applied to the hands. They actually feature some shape, with a ridge down the center. The hands could be longer, but are pretty good for an inexpensive quartz watch, especially one with a larger case size.
The crystal is mineral glass (Sapphire is nearly unheard of at this price), and the 120-click unidirectional bezel features an anodized aluminum insert with a lume pip. Pronounced ridges make it easy to grip. The clicks won't impress anyone with a Pelagos, but they are more precise than even some Seiko divers.
The case finishing is also surprisingly good for the price. The top surfaces of the lugs are brushed, with a small polished chamfer, and flat polished sides. The edges are not particularly sharp, but many inexpensive watches are fully polished, with no contrast, so this is still pretty good.
Large crown guards protect the screw-down crown, but it's still easy to grip.
Wearing the Casio Duro
The 44mm case wears quite large, especially with a nearly 50mm lug-to-lug distance.
The 12.1mm thickness is not too bad, and it's not that heavy, at 92 grams. You'll need a wider wrist if you don't want it to overhang, but most people will still find it comfortable and well-balanced.
Legibility is also quite good. The arrow-shaped hour hand is easy to distinguish from the minute hand, and the distinct shapes of the hour markers make them easy to differentiate.
The lume applications are broad, quite bright. While it's not one of the best lume applications, the theme of overdelivering continues here.
Casio Duro Bracelet and Replacement Straps
The Blue Duro includes a black resin watch strap with a polished buckle. It's comfortable and fine for a less expensive watch. Swapping it out for another 22mm strap is an easy and effective way to make the Duro feel more premium.
The black dial Duro allows for more strap color combinations, but I felt like keeping it simple anyway. A blue Pro Diver strap keeps the original aesthetic, but with something much stronger and more premium feeling.
At the end of the article, you can view more photos and purchase straps. Here is a list of straps that would look great with this watch. You can also view our Guide to Choosing a Watch Strap.
-Deployant Rubber
-Deployant Sailcloth
-Divecore HP
-Divecore Waffle
-CTS
-Ribbed FKM pass-through
-Hook and Loop Single Pass
-Ridge Rubber
-Extra Long Ridge
-Tropical Rubber
-Premium Sailcloth
-Smooth Rubber
-Rubber and Sailcloth Hybrid Straps
-Vented Rubber
-Waffle Rubber
-Elastic
Casio Duro Movement
The MDV106 runs on a Casio quartz movement. The caseback and instruction manual both reference Module 2784, but a few owners have reported what looks like a Miyota 2115 underneath. Casio rates it for an accuracy of ±20 seconds a month. Battery life is rated at about 3 years.
It sits behind a solid, screw-down caseback with spec information and the Marlin graphic engraved (a symbol that Casio has historically used on 200m dive watches).
Casio Duro Conclusion
The Casio Duro has certainly been built to a lower price, and lacks some of the refinement and finishing of more expensive watches. It does make one consider if Duro owners are really missing out on anything substantial compared to people with fancier divers. It offers solid specs, great legibility, and should be trouble-free for years to come (only requiring a battery change after that). It's been an interesting watch to wear as a reset, as I've become unfazed by wearing watches in a wide range of prices. It's a great starter watch for anyone on a smaller budget, but also one that someone with more expensive watches would feel is lacking if added to their collection as a daily driver.
Casio Duro MDV106-1A Specifications
Name: Casio Duro
Reference Number: MDV106B-2AV
MSRP: $89.95
Diameter: 44mm
Height: 49.5mm
Thickness: 12.1mm
Weight: 92g
Lug Width: 22mm
Movement: Quartz (Module 2784)
Battery Life: ~3 years (SR626SW)
Water Resistance: 200m
Crystal: Mineral
Crown: Screw-lock
Bezel: Uni-directional, 120 clicks
Strap: Resin strap
Shop Other Straps for the Casio Duro
Pro Diver Strap
Hook and Loop Elastic
Ridge FKM Rubber
and
XL Ridge FKM Rubber
Deployant Sailcloth
Tropical FKM Rubber
Waffle FKM Rubber
Hook and Loop Single Pass
