Casio's new fabric-strap F-91WF costs $48, but its own fans are building it for half the price

When we reported on the F-91WF's pricing earlier today, r/casio reached a very understandable verdict within hours: why pay a premium for a fabric strap when one costs a couple of dollars? We checked. They are right, and the gap is much bigger than the thread suggested.

We searched for 18 mm NATO straps on AliExpress, and there are hundreds of listings between $0.99 and $4.85, most with free shipping, several with four-figure sales counts and ratings above 4.5. This gets even better in wholesale: an IndiaMART supplier in Mumbai (India) quotes ₹18 per piece, around 21 cents.

Please note that many of the sub-$2 prices on AliExpress have welcome-deal badges (see below), first-order promotions for new accounts. Take those out and the standard rate for a woven nylon band is closer to 3-5 dollars, still with free shipping.

Now, set that against the watch in question. Casio Thailand lists the F-91WF at ฿1,600, roughly $48. A standard F-91W is currently priced at $22 on Amazon and ฿765 through Casio's own Thai storefront. Buy the plain watch and a strap and you finish around $25, close to half.

Fitting is the real obstacle, not cost. The F-91W has 18 mm lugs with through-drilled holes, but clearance between those holes and the case is very narrow, and standard spring bars often will not pass. Single-pass straps are usually too thick. A couple of older WatchUSeek threads (1) (2) show that regular 18 mm spring bars simply do not fit the case holes, and that the workaround is to reuse Casio's original pins. Users there also warn the resin strap may not go back on once removed. Two-piece NATOs, perlon and velcro all clear the gap; one Reddit user says the factory bars will hold most straps with enough force.

So the premium you pay essentially buys a band "engineered" for the case, fitted at the factory, under warranty, with no risk to the lugs. Around $23 for that convenience is a defensible ask, one could say. It is also, as Casio's own audience worked out, entirely optional.

Casio's new fabric-strap F-91WF watches look set to cost significantly more than the classic models
by u/Quirky_author in casio