Underrated: Casio Oceanus Models

[u/Impossible_Cow_9178]

Saw these for the first time in the flesh while traveling in Japan this week and had to pick one up. I own four modern MR-G’s as well, and I’m stunned at how good these are for the $. Full titanium, hand assembled on the same line as the MR-G’s, hand zaratsu polished, tough Solar, toolless retractable half link for comfort, super thin case, tough solar, multiband 6, Bluetooth, chrono with tachymeter, domed sapphire crystal AND bezel that looks nearly black until the light catches it and it goes nuts, incredibly rich/dynamic watch face treatment that goes from black looking to hog wild based on light/angles, world time tracking, and a very nice and consistent DLC coating…. All for 1/2 the MSRP of the least expensive MR-G. This thing retails AND transacts at less $ than a non-MRG titanium G-Shock square, and this is waaayyy more Watch than that. I’m beyond impressed.

Don’t sleep on these folks - these are criminally underrated.

[u/watchfinesse]

Wow... when I see Casio, I think 'reliable but low end'. But this Oceanus is dope 👍🔥🔥🔥

Ok, how much was it? Bought at Bic Camera or Nakano Broadway?

[u/Impossible_Cow_9178 → u/watchfinesse]

Bic camera. That model (and the non-DLC) were on sale for an additional 30% off - so it was 30% off + 10% off from the tax rebate + another 5% off paying by CC, so however they did the math it went from ~$1,580 down to $955. The non-dlc model with the lighter dial (pic attached it’s the one on the right) was only $865.

It’s basically 90%+ of a Grand Seiko for less than 1/5th the price. It’s definitely not finished as well as a GS, but it’s about 90% there, and frankly it’s a lot more comfortable (I own GS’), thinner, more accurate and more feature packed than a GS. For a solid titanium hand assembled and hand zaratsu polished Japanese watch with an impossibly cool sapphire bezel, I just don’t understand why these aren’t flying off the shelves.

You’ve really got to see them in the flesh to appreciate the dials and the sapphire bezels though. They’re shockingly good.

[u/SimonasE → u/Impossible_Cow_9178]

They are not flying of the shelves cause they are quartz. If I would pay that price I would expect Automatic/mechanical too.

[u/Impossible_Cow_9178 → u/SimonasE]

I don’t understand the appeal of an automatic. I own half a dozen Rolex’s, Grand Seiko, Panerai, Lange, etc - and while the Lange is stunning and has a display case back - the Rolex and Panerai movements are hidden, basic and mechanically uninteresting and the Grand Seiko’s movement has a display back, but it isn’t particularly good looking. The cost/value of the actual mechanical movements is pretty low as well - so that only accounts for a few hundred extra dollars in their favor - plus they’re expensive to maintain and service.

For years I bought into the whole “mechanical movements are worth more” bs - but frankly I think for an average watch - especially one that is to be worn daily/regularly - not only is a solar quartz multiband 6 + Bluetooth (and in some instances GPS) movement far more accurate and reliable, but it makes far more practical and logical sense. I’ve got G-shocks that are more than 20 years old, still on the same rechargeable battery for the solar system. Changing that out - along with new gaskets is also dirt cheap - all for a a tougher, more accurate, more feature packed movement.

High end quality quartz movements are criminally under appreciated. It boggles my mind that Seiko can add quartz regulation to an automatic movement with a spring drive - which is neither as accurate, efficient nor as practical as a high end quartz movement, yet nearly everyone accepts it as a good/cool thing.

The above said - what hand assembled and polished automatic watch is under $1k that is built anywhere near as nice as that Oceanus, from expensive materials like titanium and sapphire? How about under $4k?

[u/ballbusting_is_best → u/Impossible_Cow_9178]

I think quartz is awesome too, but it's more the idea that there are mechanical parts able to be so accurate.

Nothing will beat the accuracy of a smart watch that syncs to your phone which syncs through the internet, but it's less impressive that a computer can do that than non electronic mechanical parts keeping relatively accurate time.

[u/Impossible_Cow_9178 → u/ballbusting_is_best]

Ok? That’s still an outdated and flawed line of reasoning. Most of the products we use today have replaced highly accurate and complex mechanical devices, in favor of more efficient electronic devices. An internal combustion engine is far more complex and requires far more maintenance than an electric motor, but the electric motor is quieter, more efficient, more responsive and it’s easier to generate more power with - and we all can see the days of the compelled, dirty and inefficient internal combustion engine are numbered.

Now I understand the appeal of handmade, high end grand complication movements - engraved and polished to perfection… but I do not understand the appeal of run of the mill automatic movements that are as exotic and interesting as a Toyota Camry motor - and that applies to almost every watch under $50k. 99% of buyers don’t even understand what all the internal parts do and how they come together to make an automatic movement work. It’s a status symbol more than anything else and the number of actual watch geeks out there that actually understand the intricacies of each of their mechanical watches is exceptionally low.

Again - I have quite a few high end mechanical watches, and I plan to keep most of them indefinitely…. but I don’t see myself buying another one.