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Casio Retro Collection 39mm Unisex Watch
Ref. AQ-230A-7AMQYES
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The AQ-230A sits in the Casio Vintage line, a series that has kept the same ana-digi logic — analogue hands reading the main time, an LCD strip handling the rest — for decades without feeling the need to justify itself. The rectangular case, at just under 30mm, is genuinely compact: it wears flat and light at 47 grams, and suits a narrow wrist in a way that few watches at this size actually manage. The dual display does real work here. Glancing at the hands gives the time; the digital panel underneath handles a second timezone, stopwatch and alarm without demanding you navigate a separate mode. The acrylic crystal will pick up a surface scratch over time, but it polishes out easily enough, and it keeps the whole thing feeling period-correct rather than updated.
- Reference
- AQ-230A-7AMQYES
- Brand
- Casio
- Collection
- Vintage
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 8.1mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Rectangular
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- GMT, Date, Stopwatch, Countdown timer, Alarm, Perpetual calendar, Dual display, Digital display
- Water resistance
- Not water resistant
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 38.8mm
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 7 collections
This watch appears in the Casio Vintage range (55), Back in Stock (4,847), Stainless Steel Watches (3,197), Silver Dial Watches (718), Watches Under £100 (638), Rectangular & Square Watches (460) and GMT Watches (238).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
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What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 39mm suits most wrists
- 8.1mm is unusually slim for a 39mm case
- 38.8mm lug-to-lug keeps the 39mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
Worth knowing
- Acrylic crystal marks easily, though it polishes out
Casio Retro Collection alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | AQ-230A-7AMQYES | 1516 | RA17-2164-TWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £45 | £48 | £40 |
| Case size | 39mm | 39mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | Not water resistant | 50m | — |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. This watch carries no water resistance rating — keep it dry, and take it off before washing your hands.
Water resistance explainedWill 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.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWill it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 38.8mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs 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
Both Goldsmiths and F.Hinds list it at £45, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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