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Casio Vintage A500WEA-1EF World Time Bracelet Watch - W1528
Ref. A500WEA-1EF
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Stepping up in Casio's range
The A500WEA sits in a lineage of Casio world-time tools that stretches back to the 1980s, sharing its DNA with larger models like the AE-1200 but drawn into a slimmer, more dressy silhouette. The result is a rectangular stainless case that weighs 50 grams on the wrist and fits under a shirt cuff without negotiation — a genuinely useful thing if you travel frequently and would rather not carry something that announces itself. The dial is divided into three distinct zones: a world map graphic, a timezone display cycling through 31 cities, and the main digital readout. It is a lot of information to pack into 34mm, but Casio's layout discipline keeps it legible. Where most watches of this type use luminous paint, this one relies on an amber LED backlight — period-correct to how these tools actually worked in the era they reference, and still perfectly functional. The bracelet clasp adjusts by lifting a tension tab rather than removing links, which means resizing takes seconds at home and stays done. A small detail, but one that earns its notice after a few weeks of daily wear.
- Reference
- A500WEA-1EF
- Brand
- Casio
- Collection
- Vintage
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 9.6mm
- Lug width
- 18mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Rectangular
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- Stopwatch, Countdown timer, Alarm, Backlight, World time, Perpetual calendar, Digital display
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 39mm
Learn more about Casio
Tadao Kashio founded Kashio Seisakujo in Tokyo in 1946 as a machine shop. The company's first success was a finger ring that held a cigarette, and its second was the 14-A of 1957 — the world's first all-electric compact calculator, which used solenoids rather than gears.
Casio entered watchmaking in 1974 with the Casiotron, a digital watch with an automatic calendar that knew the varying lengths of months. The company approached watches as an electronics manufacturer rather than a horological one, and that difference produced the G-Shock.
The G-Shock came from a single engineer, Kikuo Ibe, who broke a watch his father had given him and set out to build one that could not break. The specification was three tens: survive a ten-metre drop, ten bars of water pressure, and ten years of battery life. It took over two hundred prototypes, and the solution was suspending the module inside the case on a cushioned internal structure rather than mounting it rigidly. The DW-5000C shipped in 1983.
It became one of the most durable product designs in any category, adopted by militaries, emergency services, and skateboarders alike, and Casio has since added solar charging, radio and GPS timekeeping, Bluetooth, and full-metal and carbon variants.
Casio also produces the Edifice, Pro Trek, and Oceanus lines, and remains an independent Japanese public company.
- 1946
- Tadao Kashio founds the company in Tokyo.
- 1974
- The Casiotron is Casio's first digital watch.
- 1983
- The G-Shock DW-5000C survives Kikuo Ibe's three-tens brief.
- 1994
- The Frogman extends G-Shock to ISO dive certification.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,032), Watches Under 37mm (1,656), Watches Under £100 (652), Rectangular & Square Watches (401) and Grey Dial Watches (234).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 34mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- 39mm lug-to-lug keeps the 34mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
- Sits in the lower half of Casio's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- Acrylic crystal marks easily, though it polishes out
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | A500WEA-1EF | RYS55-2183 | 40363 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £45 | £50 | £50 |
| Case size | 34mm | 34mm | 34mm |
| Water resistance | — | — | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Will the glass scratch?
Yes, but it polishes out. Acrylic marks easily and a scratch can be buffed away at home, which is why vintage-style watches still use it.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
18mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 39mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £45. There is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are F.Hinds?
F.Hinds has been run by the same family since 1856 and is now in its fifth generation, with more than 115 shops across England and Wales. They are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and an Authorised Diamond Dealer.
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