The Casio MQ-24 might be the simplest watch Casio sells: three hands, a crown, a resin case, and nothing else. No alarm, no stopwatch, no backlight, no date window. The 9BLL version pairs a faded cream dial with gold-tone details, and the argument of this review is that the simplicity is not a compromise. It is the entire point.
Watch the video above for the full five likes and five dislikes breakdown, then read on for the specs and the honest case for and against a $20 analog Casio.
The specs, such as they are
The MQ-24 case measures 38.8 x 34.9 x 7.8 mm and the whole watch weighs 20 grams, the same as an F-91W, so it genuinely disappears on the wrist. The movement is a basic Japanese quartz, accurate to plus or minus 20 seconds per month, powered by an SR626SW battery rated for about 3 years. The case and strap are resin, the crystal is resin glass, and water resistance is the splash-proof everyday kind.
One detail punches far above the price: the seconds hand hacks. Pull the crown and the seconds hand stops, which means you can set the watch precisely to a reference clock. Plenty of watches costing ten times more skip that. On a $20 watch it is a delightful surprise.
What there is to like
The dial is the star. The faded yellow-cream face with gold-tone hands and black printed numerals has a warmth that modern budget watches rarely bother with; it reads like a small vintage field watch that happens to cost less than lunch. Legibility is excellent, because there is nothing on the dial competing with the time.
Then there is the wearing experience. At 20 grams and under 8 mm thick, it slides under any cuff and never announces itself. It does not beep, buzz, or ask to be charged. Set it once (with the hacking seconds, set it exactly), and it asks nothing of you for about three years. In a watch box full of interesting complications, there is a real case for the watch that is never the problem.
The honest dislikes
Resin is resin. The case and especially the resin glass will pick up scratches in normal life, and unlike metal there is no polishing them out. The strap is a basic ribbed resin band: functional, replaceable, and nobody’s favourite part of the watch. There is no lume, so the dial vanishes in the dark, and there is no date, no second time zone, no anything. The feature list is the time, full stop.
None of that is a defect at this price, but it defines the buyer. If you want a tool watch with functions, Casio will sell you an F-91W or a W-800H for similar money with far more capability. The MQ-24 is for people who want an analog face and zero friction.
MQ-24 vs F-91W: the $20 Casio question
Casio sells two icons at this price, and they could not be more different. The F-91W gives you a stopwatch, an alarm, a calendar, and a 7-year battery in a digital case. The MQ-24 gives you the time, on a warm analog dial, and nothing else. Neither is better; they are answers to different questions. If you check the time against a schedule all day, the digital wins. If you want a watch that reads as an object rather than a device, that disappears under a cuff and never interrupts you, the analog wins.
The MQ-24 also comes in other dial treatments if the cream and gold is not your finish: a classic white dial with black numerals, and an all-black version, all sharing the same case, movement, and price band. It is one of the few watches where owning two colourways costs less than dinner, which explains why the model keeps showing up in collections that also contain watches worth a hundred times more.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Casio MQ-24 cost? List price is US$29.95, but street prices are usually lower; in Canada it commonly sells for under $25, which is where the “$20 Casio” reputation comes from.
Does the MQ-24 have a backlight or lume? Neither. There is no light and the hands and markers are not luminous, so it is a daytime watch.
How long does the battery last? About 3 years on an SR626SW cell, and replacements are inexpensive and available anywhere watch batteries are sold.
Can it get wet? It is water resistant for splashes and rain. It is not a swim watch; for that, look at Casio’s 100-metre models like the W-800H.
Verdict
The MQ-24-9BLL is not pretending to be more than it is, and that honesty is its charm. A warm vintage-style dial, true wear-it-and-forget-it lightness, hacking seconds, and quartz accuracy for the price of a pizza. Buy it as a first analog watch, a beater that still looks considered, or the one watch in your collection that never needs anything from you.
Check the current price of the Casio MQ-24 on Amazon, the same link from the video description. At this price, it is also one of the easiest gifts in the Casio catalogue.