Is Casio REALLY The Best Cheap Watch Brand? - Casio vs Skmei Digital Watch Battle

[@BensWatchClub]

Product Links (affiliate): Casio: geni.us/CasioA158W Skmei: tidd.ly/e5b08d0e

[@edu_947]

SKMEI cannot challenge the Casio's "10 YEAR BATTERY Series" i have 3 of those 10 year batteries one of which is already 7years old still running good, i just refrain from using alarm, lights, and other sounds, what i notice is Casio with print assembled in China is less accurate, faster o like 4minutes in a month, unlike the assembled in Thailand which is very accurate for 5 years

[@fredfunn5413]

It's a Chinese brand. The name is pronounced like s-kir-may in three syllables, meaning "every moment is beautiful" or "always beautiful" in mandarine.

[@edithflood631]

You are correct 时刻 means constantly, every moment. But in Mandarin it’s pronounced shí kè měi. Maybe yours (-s-) is Southern pronunciation (粤, 闽, 客) or Ancient (古)?

[@fredfunn5413]

@@edithflood631 My pronunciation of the brand name is an approximation to how it is done in the Mandarine Pin Yin system, because I suspect non-Mandarine speakers have problem pronouncing shí kè měi which is tonal and has other challenges.

[@Alias_Anybody]

@Edit Flood Is the i in ski pronounced like in lips or in iPad (in vs like)?

[@edithflood631]

Alias Anybody The shi sound is retroflex which involves curling the tongue back upwards and the i is silent so not at all like any sound you mentioned. To get the best approximation but still not perfect, it is like the shir in shirt without the t. And say it with an upward inflection, rising in tone.,The ke tone goes down and the mei tone is lower going first down then up. Complicated enough? In fact just like English the pinyin romanization system has many contradictions of the one letter having different values. The earlier Republican China system called Zhuyin Fuhao (also called bopomo) has no contradictions, it is perfect in consistency of one value one symbol, and is still used in Taiwan.

[@henryettoit897]

时刻美

[@naiyang888]

Casio usually has something major missing. How does the Skmei have a better backlight for a fraction for an already cheap watch?

[@arcadely]

What blows my mind is that making a knock-off of a watch as affordable as the Casio is still profitable: those margins must be razor thin. Still, in plenty of parts of the world £20 is still a lot of money so I'm not that surprised to see there's a market for a cheaper alternative. I'd still go for the Casio though: overall better made and the face looks smarter/better.

[@Diepvries11]

They for instance use the much cheaper and worse metals like zinc in their products. I would never wear them even if somebody paid me to do so.

[@KevAlberta]

Diepvries if I wasn’t so busy wearing my own watches I would let someone pay me to wear a skmei

[@fabianchan7]

You got that correct. Many dont seem to notice that a cheap casio is still very expensive in other country.

[@ruekurei88]

@Stinkeye Jones More like the watches are cheap to manufacture and prices get marked up or kept up due to brand and polish, something which the Chinese knockoffs don’t have and sometimes won’t to make that profit. Also lots of cut corners.

[@ruekurei88]

Well plenty of money and import taxes can be a bitch. You may be paying 20, others may be paying 25 or 30. I don’t even bother buying certain things in my country like iPhones because of the insane markup due to taxes.

[@aaronc6120]

i have a SKMEI 1251 that i bought for about $3 just for fun. Took it scuba diving because, hey, its $3! Went all the way down to 30meters. I remember pressing the button a few times at about 20 and 6 meters. Took it for 2 separate dives that day. 2 months later, still working and no visible water damage. I'll keep taking it for dives till it fails... because I can. I must mention though that they did say water resistance is 50m and advised to NOT press the buttons if underwater.

[@133774c05]

Have had the same watch for like 3 months now and it is quite resilient from what ive seen. Probably not g shock lvls of resilience but we are talking of a product at least a tenth of the price.

[@tanhockjun]

Hi guys,you guys had been using the watches for a while so I will like to ask will the time be run out of sync? (faster or slower) or it maintain as stable as Casio? Thanks in advance :)

[@gugig.m.270]

@@tanhockjun bought two different skmei models out of curiosity, they are quite accurate. Some model have better viewing angle, in my case the kids model for my daughter has better viewing angle (no distortion/shadowing) than mine :(

[@tanhockjun]

@@gugig.m.270 thanks for the reply, actually now I have a few Skmei watches,ya you are right their watch are quite accurate in the time only consider secs off the actual timing

[@imoex_index]

Legend says that he still keep taking it for dives

[@mrbacchus6127]

No way man. I'm a brand snob, I gotta have Casio branding on my ultra affordable. Lol

[@bRIAN_69420]

@ sorry I prefer to be referred as Budget Snob

[@surfside75]

This is true😁 -casio collector

[@richardvacanti9103]

I like my ultra affordable Rolex

[@KevAlberta]

Richard Vacanti weird flex but ok

[@Northanteus]

@@richardvacanti9103 You mean your _ROFLex._ :D

[@cedricclamaran]

- Is Casio REALLY The Best ... - Yes

[@Northanteus]

Not in every area, and Skmei is really showing the world that Casio needs to step up its game. They are a huge company that has been around for years and still using that dim crappy light? No excuse. Their alarms are also really low. No excuse. I have a $14 Skmei watch that gives you the option to pick from 10+ colors of LED. I picked red to preserve night vision. I bought the watch just for that reason. Crapio needs to wake up and improve. I've seen all steel watches for $20 on Amazon. The second Crapio decides to make all steel, they want $120!? 🤣 So they are earning the name I give them: Crapio Of course I think they are good in certain things but, again, there is no excuse for the areas where they lack, when much smaller companies are doing those right.

[@gohan12991]

@@Northanteus due to that dim light and low alarm noise, Casio watches last longer. I have a F94W and it's light & alarm are average. I would prefer it to work for >5 years for the price I paid for it. Skmei doesn't even last more than 3 years. I don't want to change batteries after a couple of years.

[@kanhaiyaagrawal5421]

@@Northanteus Casio also has alarm beeps of only 10 seconds, used plastic case with steel paint

[@BennyMack]

@@Northanteus SKMEI are superior

[@WarWarUS]

Касио делает говно. Не лучше китая. Скмей есть модели лучше касио

[@Blooming-Soul]

Casio has a painted plastic case, glass is a plastic too. The backlight is such that you can't see the numbers in the dark. Skmei has a zinc alloy body, a mineral glass screen, very good backlighting, and of course several times lower price. Casio is made so as not to live up to the replacement of the first battery - the case will lose its original appearance, unlike Skmei.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Zinc alloy (Chinesium) corrodes with sweat like crazy if you live anywhere warm. It's like aluminised talcum powder as soon as the nasty chrome layer wears off.

[@entiar1]

@@edwardfletcher7790 yes like antalya

[@HajoBenzin1]

try the casio a159w, it's made in japan (not china like the a158w) and has way better build quality

[@HajoBenzin1]

@Lambert Starr because on the back of the a159w it says "made in Japan" and the back of the a158w says "made in China" :) you can search online for casio models and where they are made. if you dont find any info's, just search for images of the watch and look at their back.

[@zayyadfoodhouse351]

Lambert Starr a159w models are all made in japan, it says on the back "JAPAN DH" and infront "JAPAN U"

[@elizarquemada3915]

hardly find those were made in japan these days unlike in the 80s and 90s

[@HajoBenzin1]

@@elizarquemada3915 the w159 japan is still made today and costs about 20/25 dollar :) regards

[@elizarquemada3915]

@@HajoBenzin1 that's great! is that available online? i saw some of that whiach are being sold in a mall but they were all made in china

[@juqu3700]

The Zinc alloy case actually makes me interested at Skmei. I have been using silicon strap with my A158W, it's little too tight and I noticed that the silver coating is becoming loose where the strap and case meet. It might be better to swap casio back to original metal strap, and buy Skmei to see if it's coating holds on better.

[@brianmsahin]

Be careful with zinc alloy though. A lot of people have allergic skin reactions to alloys due to the very high nickel content in most alloys. 🙂

[@saintdave1877]

I got the skmei 1456 all metal G-Shock-alike. I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort and the value for £10 from eBay. Dual time , CD timer , alarm and stop watch all work well and the light is decent. Very good work watch for the money and worth a tenner for a gamble to be honest

[@meizuc9504]

Good for you, Here in my country mostly shame using skmei , even one of famous youtuber horology here not knowing skmei. Thats ridicilous

[@dommerdom]

Your girl really pulled out all the stops for Valentine's Day! ;)

[@EffendiChung]

Just bought the skmei one, $4 and some change, good overall watch. Yes its a toy, but a heck of a beater also. Planned on using this on daily rotation and I bet the lumination would be a huge plus for a night field worker like me.

[@vintagebikes4215]

I wear this Skmei...it's not a toy. But is as credible as any digital watch, with my preferred clasp type.

[@HappyGuy11]

I have a similar mission for the Skmei. I wear it while watching TV in the dark. A W158 is unusable for this purpose. Time for Casio to upgrade the backlight. They could steal the Skmei backlight technology and make the Casio W158 a contender.

[@MetalSlug142]

And here I thought the only “Casio killer” was Casio themselves!

[@Alias_Anybody]

The price difference between the "larger" Casios and the equivalent SKMEIs is actually significantly larger (for example, one on sale for 6€ vs 21€ for the Casio). And not all SKMEIs are Casio-clones (never seen a Casio version of the SKMEI 1096 for example). Pros (apart from the price): Better backlight Cons: Usually worse viewing angles, poorly regulated (8sec/month on average for a Casio, 26sec for a SKMEI) The real pain in the butt with them are the unconventional lugs though (same issue as with Casio). The previously mentioned 1096 has 16mm and would need the G-Shock adapter to be able to fit on a normal sized Nato, another one is at 10mm (!) and makes me question myself. If I could recommend you just a single one for testing I'd go for the SKMEI 1496. It's a G-Clone (looks like a small G-square) and has regular 18mm lugs, thank God. Available for currently 10€ and about 8€ on sale.

[@pstamaria]

I have a couple of SKMEI watches....no issues what so ever. Which is better? Obviously CASIO.....however the SKMEI isn't a bad watch brand either. Good review on the comparisons between these two brands. Thx

[@vanred7550]

From where I am, Casio watches are pretty expensive. I've always wanted to buy the A158W, but the price is beyond my budget for my broke ass (lol), so I opted for the Skmei 1123. After wearing it for several days, I fell in love with it. The buttons are easier to press compared to my Skmei 1412 (F-91W clone), and it gets the job done (although it gains less than a second a day), and I love the bright backlight. Overall, it's a pretty decent watch for the price and I don't regret buying it. I still want the A158W though 😂

[@benny4162]

I bought my A185 about four months ago. I've swam in it several times, it's gotten about 12 hours of submersion in all, an hour or two every time. I've also showered with it on almost every day since I got it and it's working perfectly, no water ever got in.

[@Zeus-kj7nn]

At this price point, both watches are relatable. But yes, I'd still buy the casio for the higher quality, even for the water resistance as a beater watch. Great review..

[@leonard8217]

I love Casio. For me, some Casio watches (especially old models) are simply irreplaceable. And many people didn't know much about old Casio models.

[@seeker7679]

I bought a Skmei off Ali express for $15 as a gift for a kid I know. The quality was good and pretty much looked exactly like a Casio Mudmaster minus the triple sensor.

[@varaoz123]

I was gifted a skmei watch back in high school, about 17 years ago. I lost it along the way and then found it earlier last year still ticking. The band was broken but the watch worked… I was super surprised.

[@Aryan-fo1ls]

17? Didn't think the brand would be that old

[@SianaGearz]

@@Aryan-fo1ls 17 years was mid 2000s, i think Dealextreme carried them, that's a seller who is basically dead now. However Skmei was certainly not around in early 90s, so if your mind goes to that era if you think "17 years ago", well uhh i know easy mistake to make sorry bud.

[@rudysoobaroyen6878]

I thought Skmei came around in 2010.

[@MasterBando]

High video, cutting and sound quality...perfect presentation... you gained a new subscriber.

[@cunawarit]

I have a few F91Ws and few of the SKMEI equivalent. They are so similar that my advice is go for whichever is in the colour you want. Overall I have 10 Skmeis and they've all worked great! I have both digital and anadigis and generally the modules do have some advantages over the Casios as they are newer and Skmei has updated a few things like lume, or the way the analogue part of a watch syncs with the digital. For reference I have 9 G-Shocks and a further 3 Casios so I can compare them side by side. Price wise the Skmeis are unbeatable, they are indeed better value than the Casios. However, when you step up to a G-Shock there's nothing Skmei does that can compare. But for comparing an F91W against a 2056, or a AQ-230 against a 1612 the differences are minuscule and things will sway either way. In some aspects the Skmeis are better, in some aspects the Casios are better. But generally, the Skmei will be the better value watch. It is worth noting that in terms of accuracy most of my Skemeis beat the Casios hands down! But that label on the face does count for something, there's just something nice about a Casio. Having said that, over time I've grown fond of the Skmei brand and I do look forward to their releases.

[@jerkyscientist3333]

3:30 the brand pronounced with chinese shi(时)ke(刻)mei(美) which means beautiful time but the watch looked super cheapy

[@JeeGee114]

The handpainted lettering on the Skmei puts it in the same League as JLC.

[@julzmax956]

I still think the 168 is a better watch mainly because of the backlit display.

[@monkelover2056]

I realized since the skmei has a metal zinc alloy case, could u possibly replace the crystal/acrylic and move the casio module, dial, and bracelet to the skmei case? This i think would be a better feel and a unique modification

[@monkelover2056]

update everything fits very nicely, the module, the case back, and even the bracelet

[@wotanlau6099]

@@monkelover2056 Interesting, would love try it out myself.

[@ojkoala5498]

Hey! Did you try putting the skmei module in the Casio case?

[@rikardocastello]

I got the skmei for 6 euros, the casio is 28 euros in italy. I like the casio more, but is it 4.5x better? I don't think so. For 6 euros I might use it when biking or going to the gym, absolutely amazing

[@StardustLegacyFighter]

Maybe it's not 4.5x better in your eyes, but it'll last longer and tell the time more reliably.

[@Unlucky1776]

​@@StardustLegacyFighteryea and you're gonna replace both of them anyway lol

[@ciochinabogdanvasile]

I have 2 watches by skmei, the 9106 cronograph and the 1155 and i love them

[@stonekeeper1979]

Nov 2023 somewhere in Serbia: Casio A158 price: 38$ Skmei 1123 price: 6$

[@Unlucky1776]

Same here in Asia. $30 dollars for f91w and $2 for the skmei

[@interman7715]

I have the Skmei #1894 excellent quality watch and is accurate to - 2 seconds per month. I am impressed with the brand and will buy this reviewed model next .

[@bRIAN_69420]

I had a f91w when I was young went swimming and go to the beach with it. I even used the button underwater ahahahha. No issues at all!

[@KevAlberta]

Lulz

[@davehall4054]

Good review, but please give a idea of module accuracy as in my experience the "knock offs" modules are far more innacurate than the advertised max 30 secs per month of the Casio's.

[@PowerPoeStudios]

I bought the Skmei watch in 2 colors gold and silver and I’m sooo glad I did tbh I’m not a watch snob I’ll take the Skmei just because the night light feature is better than the Casio making it “feel” more expensive

[@matthewvz28]

I've had a SKMEI 1381 Model, only wore it for a week. The adjustable clasp was HORRIBLE to adjust. Needed needle nose plyers and a Hulk Hogan grip to release the clip. Also I didn't like how the LED fades and becomes illegible when moving at different angles. even though it was supposed to be a beater for work, I trashed it. I'd rather purchase a Casio.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Get a NATO... for it, it is worth it. a 29 cm long one..

[@VictoriaStobbie]

I want to know...could swapping the modules be possible?

[@SlavaVB]

When you press chrono reset button or time field switching in set mode, does the backlight also turn on? Because in the CASIO F91W, the light always turned on when switching fields and chrono reset....

[@HappyGuy11]

Yes. This is may impact battery life with such a bright backlight.

[@greamespens1460]

I assume it's Chinese. Nostalgically it sounds Russian like a brand that Arnold Schwarzenegger would wear in that film where he plays a Russian cop in the USA.

[@austinrothwell]

Red Heat with Jim Belushi?

[@greamespens1460]

@@austinrothwell Yes I knew it had Red in the title.

[@echochambers8418]

Maybe he wore a Vostok...Those are great inexpensive watches!!You can get a Vostok for 30-40 bucks.They have ENDLESS Mod capabilities.And they have an in house Movement.

[@greamespens1460]

@@echochambers8418 Possibly, I have two Vostoks. I think the Russian taxi driver in Die Hard 5 wears one. (Had to check IMDB ;) )

[@VadimAndreyev]

"Skmei" doesn't sound like russian word at all :)

[@shaybosis2199]

I have to say, I have a skmei watch that I use as a hiking watch, ad in servs me very well

[@83nuvola]

May I ask about the accuracy? I had a chinese watchof the same price, time ago, and it used to lose many minutes everyday. How does the Skmei behave by that point of view?

[@magoomagoon]

You should try the Skmei 1456.... awesome work watch

[@haideralikhan8364]

I am a traveller by profession and switched over from CASIO to SKMEI. I use the SKMEI 10 year battery life rugged watch with a light as bright as a torch. Simple functions, time, dual time, alarm, stop watch. Ultra cheap and ultra light.

[@StardustLegacyFighter]

The battery will definitely last 10 years, but the watch won't. There's a reason why good quality Japanese goods are better than cheap Chinese goods.

[@Unlucky1776]

​@@StardustLegacyFighteryea and you've tested this yourself through your experience right?

[@jnelly814]

I have a skmei metal square knockoff. I got it because I wanted a gold color watch to see if I could pull it off. I have no issues with it.

[@neilpiper9889]

I have Skmei 1412 and a Skmei 1894. 50m water resistant and excellent lights £15 for both.There is a video of a person swimming rapidly with a Skmei 1412. I will get back to you on how they hold up.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Zinc Alloy, commonly known as Chinesium, is a metal that seems to be made of aluminised talcum powder. It reacts with sweat and corrodes over a few months of wear to the point where the watch case resembles a lump of gray play doh...

[@HonestWatchReviewsHWR]

I love the way these Chinese brands will make copies/homages of pretty much any watch, at any price point. There are some good ones out there though. I have a few myself (obviously not at this price point) 😜

[@iamsemjaza]

Can the module from the Casio be moved into the zinc alloy Skmei case?

[@ednammansfield8553]

I have seen quite a few reviews on these Skmei watches in comparison with the original Casio. The Casio is by far a better watch. As you mentioned the water resistance of 30M on the Casio and it does exceed what it says on the face of the watch, I have the Casio A158W and from experience with the watch I can verify that with my experience of wearing it. The battery in the Casio should be good for 7 years before replacement is required depending on the use of the functions of the watch. The Casio bracelet is better and it wears well on the wrist. The Casio every time for me. I recently purchased a Casio analogue watch the MTP 1377 from Argos here in the UK for £29.99 which is the same price on Amazon UK, for the price it is an amazing watch. Fully stainless steel and is 38mm to 40mm and has Roman numerals at the 2,4,6, 8, 10 and 12 positions and is 100M water resistant and also has a day/date complication, it's definately a watch to review if you come across one, Incredible value for money at the price point. Thanks Ben for your reviews of different watches which I am really enjoying.

[@Krokodil_Gena_r]

Это у SKMEI водонепроницаемость 30 метров, придурок.

[@xMafloN]

If the casio had the Skmei Backlight it would be pretty much perfect for the price

[@edithflood631]

Hey Ben, just thought you might like to know how to properly pronounce the SKMEI brand name! In Mandarin it means Hour/Quarter/Beautiful and is spelt Shi Ke Mei which is a bit like saying the English words shirker-may as one word! Okay ... shirker-may, shirker-may...ya got it!

[@Naptosis]

That's good information! I thought it was pronounced 'SKuMEI' 😂

[@o.portista]

Never will understand why Casios need knockoffs. I've got numrous of casios all over 10 years now, but this one has always stood out. I even have a Casio with a battery thats over 15 years now, all original.

[@StardustLegacyFighter]

I doubt a single skmei would last as long.

[@BitLockerOK]

i recently had a drop of my a168, the parts where the strap fits broke on one side so i was thinking of buying one of these and replace the frame with one of these, since the casio is too high priced for a new one could i use it?

[@katerhofmann]

The quality of skmeis seems to vary. When I got the skmei 1123 everything was disappointing. Bracelet, viewing angle etc. much more worse than on my other skmeis. Felt like a cheap copy of a skmei.

[@Marian87]

Apparently, there are also fake SKMEIs out there ...so maybe you got one of those. Man, what a crazy world, even fakes get faked...

[@831nightmare]

Do you ever plan on reviewing higher end watches?

[@patxigarmendizabal6063]

Being backlit and thicker, shouldn't it be compared with the Casio A168 instead?

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

The SKMEI 1123 has a way better clock face, no obnoxious red and blue lines that clutter up the face, I like the fonts. and the back lights are way way better, bought it put it on a nice NATO.

[@ikybaiiki]

Could you do a brand review of Rotary?

[@onvamdimon2224]

Nothing can kill Casio. Just because it’s a rock solid Name with tonnes of respect, quality and history.

[@ohdear2001]

Nah, they're trash nowadays.

[@StardustLegacyFighter]

​@@ohdear2001Your opinion is trash.

[@vintagebikes4215]

I have this Skmei watch and love it. The big difference is that the Skmei has a solid zinc metal body (electroplated chrome plating) while the Casio is coated plastic which is far more subject to scratches...a H U G E benefit of Skmei over Casio. Unfortunately, the Casio model has not been available for going on a year.

[@onvamdimon2224]

In long perspective as author mentioned Casio resin cases behave really well, scratches also highly possible on metal alloy too

[@rudzon]

@@onvamdimon2224 my A168 look like plastic garbage. Paint wears off leaving whiteish-gray plastic with bits of metal-copper-like pieces of a paint. Ugh. And upgrade to all metal casio seems too costly for a minor case upgrade

[@onvamdimon2224]

@@rudzon how old is your watch now?

[@rudzon]

@@onvamdimon2224 5 years

[@onvamdimon2224]

@@rudzon that’s decent time already and it also depends how well you care of it. If you care - things lasts. Never had issues with Casio, standard wear and tear

[@bazookajoe-u2w]

I have a Skmei (soo ku may) digital (different model to this one) and it's actually thinner than the Casio A164w with a better backlight. Stainless steel case, can view the screen from all angles and keeps good time. Skmei is legit.

[@SianaGearz]

Which Skmei model did you end up getting?

[@bazookajoe-u2w]

@@SianaGearz 1639

I love my a158 for how accurate it is. It gains 0.67-0.68s every 30 days. A quartz chronometer must do it in 2.1s I believe.

[@jimj4206]

Love my casio C T 600 touch screen calculator watch. It has the perfect eighties look that I enjoy so much.

[@stephencresswell4760]

I have a few Skmei watches now and I’m a big fan. Some of the new ones are fab.

[@MrPleers]

I went to Chinatown in Bangkok last year. You would not believe how many Casio´s are knocked off by Skmei. Everything from the F-91W up to the DMW B5000.

[@britrock7657]

I don't know about digital watches but I will say that the analog MTP series Casio Quartz watches you get for $20 on eBay from Singapore or on Amazon, are generally better than any $20ish Chinese watch I've tried. Casio is amazing quality for the price, far better than Timex and without the loud ticking on their cheaper dressier watches.

[@Alias_Anybody]

The Timex movement baffles me to this day. There are literally Chinese watches for 2€ which are as accurate and far less noisy (personally tested), and 3bars of WR with a field watch design can also easily be beaten by something under 10 bucks. No reason to go for Timex apart from brand recognition.

[@EdWood2006]

The link you provided for the Skmei looks to be a different watch?

[@enilenis]

In 1989 Sweden my parents got me my first watch, which was a Casio. I never even looked at the model. It appeared to be an A158, but had only 2 buttons. And in all of my searches, I was never able to find what model it was, having lost the watch itself. No image I see online resembles what that I had. So, was it a knockoff branded as Casio? It was from a reputable seller. All I know, is that none of the watches from 1989 I've seen are what I had. The bracelet is the same as A158. It feels almost right, but the front is different. Mine were not water resistant, and they looked 75% as big as the modern A158W. The model of the watch I had for 10 years is a mystery I cannot solve. I've had some gadgets in those days, like a Citizen electronic dictionary, that has zero mention of existing online. Not every product had a following and has a presence online. It is even possible that my watch was some kind of a limited run sample. If I saw it again, I'd recognize it. All the watches I see have 3 buttons and 4 bumps on the side. Mine had one bump on each side with a button each. Metal construction. 90% A158's look, but a tiny bit more metal on the bevel. Smaller faceplate. Time, weekday, date indicator and that's it. Absolutely nothing else on screen. No alarm function. No piezo crystal in the back. I remember it 100%, which is why it's tormenting my mind. I assumed I'd just google and find it, but nope.

[@onepunchman4481]

The SKMEI is tempting with that nice light 🤷🏽‍♂️ In my country it's a third of the price of an expensive Casio.

[@ashleylam764]

I got my casio on sale and it was cheaper then the skmei already, and theres not way i would get a cheaper brand for my already affordable watch... although i do see why people would get the skmei.. great video!

[@dyriten]

The cheap skmei watches arent really meant for Americans because casios are very cheap in america but in some parts of the world Casios cost way more than they should. The casio a158 costs 60€ where i live

[@Unlucky1776]

Yea exactly they're meant for markets like India or literally all of Asia.

[@kamehouseboxing7142]

Casio is so affordable and valuable. We should reward huge companies who do quality work and still keep price more than reasonable. Not burn them for cheap copy cats.

[@sonson-ct9cm]

1:29 - 1:32 this scene speaks volumes about the difference between 2 displays

[@princeginger2025]

i had one that look liked the g shock second hand was not working had to send it back and the replacement had the same prob

[@stevenfennell7020]

Metal case, superior back light and six euro price that i paid makes the Skmei the better choice for me. Both watches made in China btw.

[@DanDerMann]

I have Casio, Timex, Skmei and other similar digital watches. I will tell you why this skmei is superior: The backlight stays on for a couple seconds after you press the button.

[@Ohne_Silikone]

I have two skmei watches. They don’t offer the same functionality as the ones they copy. Yes, lights ok, but not better. My Skmei 1418 (suunto look alike?) has a lot of functionality, but it comes with caveats: the temperature for instance always gets to 28,5 degrees while wearing, because it takes your body heat. My skmei 1381 comes with almost the same functions as the Casio f-201, which is my favourite Casio by far. However it is housed as a Casio DB-360GN look alike. The two extra buttons you get because of that don’t add anything extra and only make operating the watch convoluted. The LCD has poor legibility under a slight angle. The price is not that much less than that of the f-201, so I wouldn’t buy it again. I use it as my kitchen timer

[@Dai6969]

I totally preffer Skmei over casio. I mean, Skmei, to me, gives me the watch that for the price i spect and more. Cool features, superior light sistem, 3 bar of water resistence. BTW, thanks for all of your reviews man.

[@jiasunzhang8001]

So how about the accuracy ? How many seconds will the skemi off per week?

[@Alias_Anybody]

Got three. One is 26sec/month fast, one 36sec fast and one 16sec slow. So maybe 26sec on average. Take it with a grain of salt though, it also depends on the temperature, they should do better if worn daily. (My Casio for example is at 8sec/month when lying around but less than 4sec when worn.

[@bobanveljkovic8925]

My Skmei 1019 - 2 sec/month

[@adistancu6545]

Because of you I start to discover and know Casio much better ha ha thank you Ben !

[@han_pritcher]

Every kid at school had a Casio watch similar to this, so yes, it IS a kid's watch. The Skmei has a metal case which already makes it superior, in my view. I had a nice Casio ana-digi watch years ago as a kid and it was only when the lug snapped off that I realised it was made of resin. The whole thing looked gold-plated, but the case was in fact tan-coloured resin coated in a thick metallic layer. Anyway, it literally fell off my wrist one day, and I babied that thing. So yes, these low-end Casios are cheap and cheerful and have a reputation, but they're not fantastic pieces of horological art that they're made out to be.

[@HappyGuy11]

I have 4 Skmei watches, including this one and I like them all pretty well. Why buy the Skmei when the Casio is so cheap? In the U.S. the Casio W158 is $21 from Amazon and the corresponding Skmei is $6 from Ali Express and has a great backlight. For me the pathetic backlight of the W158 and F91W are unacceptable, so I opt for the Skmei versions. Even in Casio models that have acceptable backlighting, the Skmei reversed lighting is often much easier to read. So far I am also of the opinion that the chromed Zinc case of this Skmei is also an upgrade, although most of my other Skmei's are resin. I'm not comfortable with the Skmei theft of intellectual property and would probably pay extra for Casio's which had equivalent backlighting, but Casio really needs to upgrade the backlighting on the W158, F91W and related models. As currently provided these Casio's are unacceptable for my use.

[@SidBonkers51]

You do you describe the Skmei as a knock off but watches by other more expensive watches as homages?

[@StardustLegacyFighter]

Homages aren't knock offs, lol. They're watches that are inspired by a more expensive watch, e.g. The Seiko Speedtimer is a homage of the Omega Speedmaster. This is clomage, because it's pretty much a clone of Casio.

[@KarlandKristy]

I love ALL my Skmei watches. I actually have many high-end watches from watch gang. But I still wear these watches more than any of the others because some of them are really extremely unusual. And they are very easy to program. Once you get used to their system. And people will ask me what time it is and I will just stick my arm out and they are like “what the fuck is that?”. And I always love when people comment on them and I also let them try to figure out how some of them actually tell time. Some of them remind me of my backwards wall clock. People will stare at it forever trying to figure out what time it is. Same with some of these watches. So much fun.

[@theosexpertdaymon2774]

Have you ever had one of the Skmei watches with a mechanical movement? Like the 9199? Do you think one of them would be worth it as a daily wear kinda watch?

[@044-masrurilakmalyazid]

i'm a SKMEI user since 2017, i bought some of SKMEI watches, and it typically only lasts about 2 to 3 years. The issue is always in the same part-the backlight always died after 2 to 3 years, and SKMEI have a bad time accuracy, because i always re-calibrate after 3 to 6 months, and now i moved to CASIO because the reputation and Consistency make me trust this brand

[@shaunharn1998]

Casio main appeal is affordability, easy to get & large varieties of different watches, a Casio isn’t that expensive, why would anyone want a cheaper watch when the original is only $20-$25

[@SianaGearz]

Chinese manufacturers often do use silica mineral glass with their zinc alloy cases. Would have been worth actually testing.

[@kirilllait6860]

I had a skmei watch. Had to put it down, because it uses to much battery. I battery per week is to much for this kind of watch.

[@vir042]

Which one was that? I have two (wanted to try out some different models for size before buying a more expensive one) this was 3-4 years ago and they both work just fine in the drawer.. :P

[@kirilllait6860]

@@vir042 Skmei 3D Pedometer 1363 Terrible watch. It also has one program issue, but I don't know how to say it English.

[@vir042]

@@kirilllait6860 Oh ok, its a more hightech one with stepcounter etc? I got no clue how long a stepcounter normally last but dont 1 week sound kinda normalish for a step-counter/calorie counter thingie.. That might be me being so colored by smartwatcher barely lasting a day that that im just naive though.. Thanks for letting me know not to buy those ones then, because if its not rechargeable 1 week sounds like a pain in the a.. :P

[@kirilllait6860]

@@vir042 the pain counter: 1$ per week for battery Swapping the battery Setting all numbers after each swap, with height and weight program issue.

[@vir042]

@@kirilllait6860 Damn that SUCKS. I can understand hating on that setup :D Bet there are other options with rechargable battery on aliexpress with decent reviews. At least you now know what you dont want for next time ;) That was my reason for buying some cheap watches when i did, just to see what i didnt like or what i did like so when i did spend more that i really got what i wanted. Because it sucks when something cheap sucks but its horrible when something expensive sucks :S

[@michaelhorn8962]

I'll take the Skummy for having an actually usable backlight.

[@mpf1947]

Just get the A168 instead of the A158 then.

[@malaykadegel8793]

@@mpf1947 is their choice not yours ok

[@Tomdragon91]

@@mpf1947 I agree with you. The casio 158 is a brilliant watch except for that worthless backlight. If only it had EL green that illuminates the whole screen like the a168, which is why so many people mod them now

[@BennyMack]

I would never wear a casio now. Only SKMEI they are my favorite watch brand. They have better metal colorways than casio. Blue black gold silver

[@ianbrown5924]

Having less than a month ago treated myself to a full metal G Shock direct from Casio for £405 with 10% discount I wish now I'd just bought a Skmei. Even with leaving it under a lamp for 12hrs a day (solar powered supposedly) it still fails to last through the night without loosing the light function and flashing LOW where the date display should be. My first Casio and definitely my last, utter garbage.

[@SianaGearz]

I have a Casio ToughSolar S800 that i bought i think for 45€ or something almost a decade ago and the solar charge function has been fairly good for how i have been using it. I have found two good ways to charge it. One is to just wear it and not hide it in the clothing - and it needs just an occasional 2 hour sunlight session every few weeks to top out. Other is to take an LED torch the cheap one with a bunch of coldwhite LEDs and just place it straight on overnight. I only have to artificially charge it occasionally if i left it indoors for half a year. They really don't get all too much charge out of indoor artificial light, even what might be considered "bright" for reading etc, it needs more power density, at best indoor lighting slows down the drain. Thing with solar cells is that they're not linear, 24 hours in weak light is not the same as 2 hours in 12 times stronger light, same light amount received but the latter will result in much higher conversion efficiency. I'm not entirely happy with the look of the watch and perhaps wish i got the S810 or something else instead, or an S800 in a different design, but functionally well except me now wearing a smart bracelet thing that also controls music on my phone, for a normal watch i couldn't wish for anything better, it glances off hits, it goes for a swim or a dive, it's something that comes along for outdoor sporty activities and easily gets charged during those, and doesn't need to be unsealed to replace the battery for a long time to come yet, which can compromise the water resistance. I can't imagine myself paying several times more for a G-shock, and i don't know if a metal g-shock even makes sense; but perhaps i'm missing something. Reason i bought the Casio is that i wanted a practical watch with uniqueish features and didn't want the jumping seconds hand. Call me weird, i have a thing against seconds hand being jumpy like on usual Quartz powered watches. Of course i also have a cheap automatic, so that's to my taste as well, but it's just too cumbersome a lot of the time. And digital watches are OK, but for the most part they bore me a little too much. It was inexpensive enough that i wouldn't be mad at myself if i didn't end up liking it, i don't like high stakes when it comes to things i don't strictly need.

[@EffendiChung]

This skmei is more on par with an A168. Quality is there but finishing is a bit off. I suggest buy the all black one, and use the bracelet on an F91. Its around $6-8 in my country, so its much more palatable for us.

[@Ni5ei]

In this price range it may not seem much but the Skmei is half the price of the Casio. Imagine reviewing 2 cars where one is half the price of the other and the differences are so subtle.

[@StardustLegacyFighter]

Unlike cars, where even budget ones can be just as reliable as expensive ones. Skmei is nowhere near as reliable as Casio.

[@armyofninjas9055]

3:14 - The skmei is exactly an octave higher 😮

[@TalenGryphon]

"Which is better? A cheap Chinese rip-off of a Casio or the real deal?" Fixed that title for you. Also I'm pretty sure it's pronounced "Scammy"

[@bradleypariah]

I owned both a CasiOak and a DW5600 not that long ago. I caught wind of brands like SKMEI and Sanda, and I ended up ordering a knock-off of each. My FakiOak was seven bucks. My SKMEI-Shock was five. The subtle differences meant absolutely nothing to me, so I sold the genuine Casios for basically what I paid for them, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I feel like I own the exact same watches as before, but now I have better Night Lights, and I got to put over a hundred bucks back in my pocket. No hate for Casio, but all I need is to tell time, and time my lunch breaks at work, without the added compulsion to "check my phone." If twelve bucks will get me there, I'm too pragmatic to spend multitudes more for no added benefit. I wasn't going to impress anyone with a Casio anyway.

[@Miguel_GM]

I don't get why people may want to buy a knockoff when the real deal is so cheap. Also, you may wanna try the a168W, like the a158W but with back light ;)

[@mreyhansf]

"cheap" word is very subjective. Some people will say $12 is cheap but other people especially in developing countries will say $12 is not cheap. Its depends on their monthly income. There is always a market for product like this. Just for your information, in Indonesia you can get this SKMEI 1123 just for Rp65.000 / $5 but for Casio A158 you will need to pay Rp214.000 / $15.

[@diefrage1453]

I had the Casio from 2007 to 2019, 12 solid years! highly recommended for practical mindsets like myself

[@BassMatriX]

I mean, obviously the Skmei is automatic. The rotor adds to the overall thickness. 😏

[@edithflood631]

Rotor...? My head is spinning around and around with your wittiness.

[@BassMatriX]

Ha! Way to spin that on me.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Got one, I think it is the one in the video, it works very well, runs on time, has great back lights, I have the F91 copy... €4,-... only bad, band is way way too short, bought a NATO for it.