[CASIO Review] MDV-107-1A3 – almost like the Bill Gates’ watch

It’s time to go back to the roots. To watches in the usual perception of the word, rather than to the technological sophistication that has saturated most of our lives. Let’s look at the very traditional new product, the MDV-107-1A3, in a traditional MAG REVIEW.

It is a great pleasure to see the continuation of watch development in the model range of simple but excellent products under the MDV name. The MDV-107 series can hardly be called a new product because it is, in fact, a copy of the famous Duro Marlin MDV-106, but with minimal differences.

Before moving on to these differences, I would like to recall one reason for the popularity of this series. Many blog readers already know this cause, which hides under the name “Bill Gates”.

Once a millionaire/billionaire makes a public appearance wearing his favorite watch piece, it immediately becomes legendary. Bill probably has other watches in his collection, but if you have a love for CASIO, you have it forever. Microsoft’s creator hints that simple, reliable watches are still in business, despite the abundance of technology in the industry. It’s more of a message to critics who believe that simple watches have been outdated and have no right to exist. Judging by the popularity of vintage CASIO representatives, CASIO simple watches will continue to be in business for a long time.

I prefer to alternate innovations with classics because it is more interesting to live this way. I have nothing against the Bluetooth synchronization models, as well as models like MDV-107.

The MDV-107 differs from its family member [MDV-106] by having a colored bezel [or more color variations] and NOT having the Marlin logo. While the presence of the new red and blue color of the bezel is a joy, the absence of the marlin is a bit embarrassing.

I wonder about the reason for this decision. The guys at hodinky-365.com assume CASIO ran out of licenses to use the logo. Hmm, I doubt that’s a problem for such a giant, although CASIO might not consider having a marlin on display as something essential.

On the other hand, the logo hinted at another watch feature – its diver’s purpose. Remember, the MDV-107 belongs to the Diver Look category but can even perform direct diving functions. The watch is 200 meters water-resistant, which means it’ s safe to use underwater. Of course, this is not professional use, but 200 meters is 200 meters [remember, G-SHOCK has a minimum water resistance of 200 meters]. If we also consider the rotating bezel timer, it is an excellent feature for diving [but no more].

Bezel. Yes, this part of the watch deserves special attention in my review. In addition to its beautiful color [deep blue and bright red], the bezel also rotates and serves as a timer. It only rotates to one side in one direction [counterclockwise] and makes those nice mechanical clicks as it rotates. Ugh… It’s rare to hear a mechanism sound in a quartz watch, but in the MDV-107-1A3, it’s love [we’re talking about bezel rotation only because the mechanism itself is virtually silent].

The timer logic is incredibly primitive – we fix a big mark with a white dot near the minute hand, and then the bezel dial will tell you how many minutes have passed from the beginning of the mark. Very simple, but a very nice and somewhat helpful feature [e.g. the minute hand may not be in the most convenient position for counting. Although I may just be sucking the practical application out of my finger))].

The watch is also very similar to the diver’s line of other “mechanical” brands [hinting at SEIKO, ROLEX and the like]. All traditional elements are present in the watch: large heavy steel case with a large functional bezel, large hour marks [for readability under water], luminescent coating, large hands, and polyurethane strap. So if you want to enjoy a quartz alternative to the classic divers, the MDV-107 will help you do that.

What I can’t help mentioning is the presence of a second hand. It makes the spectacle more impressive. The watch is very pleasing to the eye, fits nicely on the wrist, is a bit heavy, but very comfortable. It will work for 3 years with the original battery.

Conclusions

The MDV-107 series can be considered a marketing response to the popularity of the MDV-106 version. The Japanese decided to take advantage of this fame and showed the world new colors, which the public would like. Despite the hype, the watch remains very reliable, moderately functional, and very comfortable.