DW-291 Quick Impressions

[Kronos]

Until I saw a recent post by Sedi, I was blissfully unaware that Casio had come out with a successor to the venerable, slightly eccentric, much loved DW-290. Needless to say, I ordered one immediately and it arrived yesterday afternoon. I strapped it on for the first time today.




Like the DW-290, the DW-291 offers great value. 200m water resistance and a solid feature set for under $30. It seems solidly built, albeit not as indestructible as a G-Shock. But the price is 35% less than the most basic G-Shock.

Here are some quick impressions:

1. The DW-291 module has been upgraded in
two main respects.

A. It has a world time feature, something the DW-290 lacks. In addition, in regular timekeeping mode you can quickly toggle through four different time zones you have pre-selected.

B. The DW-291 has five separate, independent alarms vs. the DW-290’s one alarm.

2. Like the DW-290, the DW-291 crystal is made of mineral glass. The DW-290 has a slightly raised bezel which would offer some protection for crystal. The DW-291’s bezel is flush with the crystal.

3. The watch is slightly larger than the DW-290 and its “rounded off square” shape feels more conventional than the DW-290’s stretched out hexagon.

4. The DW-291’s display is larger and crisper than that of the DW-290. It also contains two elements not present on its predecessor - a “moving graph” that shows the passage of seconds and refreshes every thirty seconds and a small analog clock in the upper right hand corner. They both provide a visual representation of the passage of time that, I think, registers in the brain differently than a digital display. Neither element is intrusive unduly cluttering or distracting, but both are a bit difficult for my aging eyes to see in low light.

DW-291



DW-290



5. The DW-291 strap, while not uncomfortable, feels a bit more “plastic-y” and less substantial the DW-290’s strap.

6. I measure the thickness of both the DW-290 and DW-291 at 14.3mm. But the DW-291 rides slightly higher on my wrist, likely due to the manner in which the strap attaches to the watch.

7. The buttons on the DW-291 are larger and more comfortable than those on the DW-290.

DW-291



DW-290




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