CheckMag | The $30 Casio AE-1200WH - or the 'Casio Royale' - proves that affordable can be brilliant

Watches are often associated with style, luxury, and sometimes even status. Yet, every so often, a timepiece comes along that focuses on practicality and function while preserving the 'looks' aspect. The Casio AE-1200WH, affectionately called the “Casio Royale,” does exactly that, all while keeping the price tag around $30 ($40 for some variants). It’s a budget watch that doesn’t cut corners on essential features, putting it in a league of its own.

A retro design and a feature set that turns heads

First launched in 2012, the AE-1200WH quickly gained popularity for its versatile feature set and affordable price. Its design, with a digital layout and a small analog sub-dial, drew inspiration from the world of espionage—earning the nickname “Casio Royale” due to its resemblance to the Seiko G757 worn in the Bond film Octopussy. Over the years, the watch has remained largely unchanged.

The AE-1200WH is equipped with:

• World time
• Stopwatch
• Countdown timer
• Multiple alarms
• 10-year battery life

These are all features typically found in higher-priced watches. Take the Timex Expedition Grid Shock, for instance. Retailing around $70, it has a similar suite of features, including alarms and timers, with an added rugged aesthetic. However, for nearly double the price, you’re mostly paying for looks, rather than a major leap in functionality.

A watch that gets nearly everything right

Despite its retro appeal, the AE-1200WH doesn’t really feel outdated. Sure, you can shell out extra money and get advanced features like GPS, fitness tracking and more - but for an everyday user who simply needs reliable timekeeping, alarms, and world time, these features may feel like overkill.

The Casio's design harkens back to classic 1980s digital watches. The resin case and strap keep the watch lightweight and comfortable, while the well-organized digital display ensures that all essential information is easy to access. From a usability standpoint, its interface is quite intuitive, which makes it accessible even to those who aren’t tech-savvy.

The LED backlight might not be the fanciest, unlike Casio’s newer ‘Super Illuminator’ LED tech, but it does the job when you’re fumbling in the dark. And let’s not overlook the fact that this watch boasts a 10-year battery life powered by the CR2025. Moreover, with a water resistance rating of 100 meters, it’s equipped to handle swimming and other water-based activities, though it stops short of being a dive watch.

While the watch isn't exactly a boardroom piece, there are multiple alternatives. Casio launched the slightly more expensive AE-1200WHL-5AV earlier this year, which features a clean leather strap. If you're not a fan of leather straps, the AE-1200WHD-1AV comes with a metal bracelet too (again, at a slightly higher cost - $42.95, although the watch can be purchased for $27.50 on Amazon right now). Scratch that, if you're looking for a slightly different design in a similar form factor, the Casio WS-1600H-1AV might be right up your alley. And yes, all the aforementioned models come with a price tag around or less than $40.

Why people love it?

So, what’s the deal? Why is this watch apparently loved by so many people, as evident by hundreds of consumer reviews on online forums (like Reddit)? It boils down to this: the AE-1200WH is reliable, quirky, and packed with features that punch well above its price tag. Plus, there’s something inherently fun about wearing a watch that feels a little different. It’s a conversation starter. And let’s be honest—it just feels cool to have a “world timer” on your wrist, even if you’re only tracking time zones for the sake of it. The Casio AE-1200WH isn’t trying to compete with luxury brands or even mid-range watches. It just does its own thing.

In a world driven by consumerism, the classic ‘Casio Royale’ proves you don’t have to spend big to get something great. And that, perhaps, is its biggest triumph.