Casio DW5600 vs A168WA

Casio digital wristwatches have become famous as they offer the best value. You will be hard pressed to find an alternative.

The G-Shock DW5600 and vintage A168 are excellent examples of their respective model lines and can be had for around $45 and $20 respectively. It's that low price point that make these watches so attractive relative to their very high quality and feature list.

When comparing watches you would want to compare 5 criterias:

Features
Accuracy
Reliability / Durability
Wearability
Aesthetics

I. Features - DW5600 wins

The huge advantage that digital watches have over regular analog watches is its display. For an analog watch to hold multiple features it would need to reserve room on its display for each feature and this can be inherently difficult due to the limited real estate on a wristwatch dial.

Digital watches avoid this problem as they can cycle through multiple features sharing the same display. By pressing the mode button either Casio can cycle through 4-5 screens, each representing a different feature.

A168 features:

Time
Day of Week
Day of Month
Alarm (Single)
Hourly Chime
Stopwatch
LED Backlight

DW5600 features:

Everything A168 has, plus additional following:

Calendar Month
Leap Year automatic adjustment
Countdown Timer
Alarms (Multiple)

From a simple count of features the DW5600 wins. It can do everything that an A168 can and more.

2. Accuracy - Tie

The G-Shock DW5600 is probably more accurate, but both have shown to be very close. Most digital watches from Casio are very accurate within +/- 20 seconds/month.

3. Reliability / Durability - DW5600

The G-Shock was designed for one thing, to be durable. And is the epitome of what we would call a 'beater' watch. It can take a beating and keep on ticking. Take it swimming, diving, mountain climbing, wherever, it'll continue to work as designed.

About the only weak spot of most G-Shocks is its resin band and case cover. Due to the inherent nature of most plastics it'll eventually become brittle and crack. This is especially apparent with frequent exposure to sunlight.

The A168 is also considered a 'beater' watch but due to its low price point. You wouldn't care too much if you damaged or seriously destroyed an A168 as you can simply by a replacement. The A168 is still quite durable relative to other digital watches, but doesn't compare to a G-Shock.

However, the steel band in theory should last longer than resin so a well cared for A168 could last longer than an equally well treated DW5600.

For most people, both will remain reliable and durable.

4. Wearability - A168 wins

Wearability is subjective as each person is different. Some complain about the 'hair pulling' wrist band of the A168, but for me I find the A168 much more comfortable for long term wear than the G-Shock.

The A168 is more comfortable for me as it weighs less than 50 grams and has a metal case back and metal band. These are very useful during warmer climates when I perspire. The nature of metal makes it a natural conductor of heat and it whisks away sweat and heat almost like a heat sink.

The G-Shock, I'm finding can get uncomfortable over time due to the semi-rigid band that also becomes very uncomfortable when inundated with water or sweat, my wrist starts to itch and I frequently find myself adjusting and re-adjusting the band. I have found a compromise of sorts and find I can wear the DW5600 on my right wrist for extended periods of time vs my left, not clear as to why this is the case, but has allowed me to continue wearing the G-Shock without much complaint.

The A168 however can be worn on either wrist and feels that much more supple on the wrist.

5. Aesthetics - DW5600, slightly

Again, Aesthetics is very subjective as each person has their own personal tastes and preferences. For me, I'm drawn to the mantra of the G-Shock in that they build very durable 'beater' watches. I like how the DW5600 looks on my wrist.

The A168 by comparison appears more 'dainty'. But at the same time, I've also grown fond of the A168 as a no-nonsense watch and in its own right exudes a simple charm of someone who doesn't want to be encumbered by material possessions and just needs a way to tell the time.

Closing

By the numbers the DW5600 technically 'wins'. But at the low price point they offer unless your job or lifestyle requires the environment that a G-Shock was designed for, you should simply get both watches and enjoy them.

I found that is the most appealing proposition of most basic Casio watches, they are just so affordable. At the same time, I wouldn't go wild and buy multiple Casio's beyond just these 2.

For me, I've settled into a pattern of the A168 being my office and weekday watch, while the DW5600 is my weekend and outdoor watch. I don't need to worry if I forget to 'switch' watches, other than when I'm near water or going for a swim then I might remember to bring the DW5600.