Casio F105W and why I do wear it

While I described the W93H as a bit of a dud for me in my last article, the F105W is a total winner in my book.

For those not in the know, the F105W is like the F-91W, but with one rather important improvement. The nightlight is a million times better. This is why ILLUMINATOR is so prominent on the watch face.

I don't know exactly when this watch was introduced to market, but it definitely came shortly after Timex released watches with the the Indiglo nightlight technology in 1992. My guess is that at earliest, the F105W is probably a design from the mid-1990s.

Is the F105W exactly the same as the F-91W?

No, and there are several noticeable differences.

The F105W has a panel display that's actually slightly smaller than the F-91W. The digital characters on the F105W are also slightly smaller but thicker. Lastly, on the panel itself the weekday and date are spaced closer together on the F105W compared to the F-91W.

Functionally, the two watches are identical. No differences there.

Although I've not tested this, the F105W is supposedly 27g in weight while the F-91W is 20g. I don't feel the 7g difference if there is one, and I don't think anyone else would.

On my 6.75" wrist, the F105W lays more flat than the F-91W, which is something I very much appreciate so the watch stays put.

Does a nightlight really matter that much?

Yes.

People all over the world love the F-91W because it just works. The only complaint anyone ever has about the F-91W is that the nightlight is terrible. Solution? Buy an F105W. Problem solved.

The only problem with the F105W? Not an easy watch to find in stores for some odd reason.

In Walmart for example, you'll easily find the F-91W there as well as the F108 and the recently introduced W217 (very similar styling to the F-91W but larger with notably better nightlight.) But both of those models have an amber nightlight that while it does work very well, it's not the cool blue one.

One model that Walmart carries that does have it is the A168. If you like a small digital with a steel bracelet, that's your watch. But if it's not, the resin version is the F105W...

...and neither Walmart nor Target carry it as far as I know. Personally, I had to buy mine online just to get one.

The real question is this: Is the nightlight of the F105W really that good?

In fact, yes it is.

Where nightlights are concerned, Casio really got it right with this one. It has that just-right luminance that makes it a joy to use. The aqua color and contrast of the nightlight is also perfect. You couldn't ask for better.

I'm very glad Casio still makes the F105W and hope they continue to do so for a long time.

Published 2018 Mar 5