By: Marcais Christie

Look on any social media outlet and you’ll see plenty of photos of people modding their watches with 3rd party full metal cases or people commenting on brand posts about wanting “this exact watch in a full metal case” the digital watch world has been screaming out for some good budget full metal digis.

Are these three the answer to our prayers? Let’s find out…..

Round 1: The Case

The Casio A1000 comes in the smallest case with the thinnest case, with the Timex T80 at the other end of the scale in the biggest, most bulky case.

To me the bigger case on the Timex feels more true to vintage digis so round one goes to the T80.

Round 2: The Finishing

All three have multiple polished/brushed sections but the Casio is the clear standout when it comes to finishing. The polished ring around the screen and mother of pearl dial really make the A1000 feel miles ahead when it comes to finish quality.

Round 3: The Bracelet

None of these watches are currently on their original bracelet. The T80 is currently sporting the bracelet from the Casio and the Casio has the Timex bracelet on it. The Armitron is the odd one out with a bracelet from a completely different model Casio.

The A1000 is the standout winner again here.

Round 4: The Pushers

The pushers on the Casio are hidden and a bit tricky to push.
The T80’s pushers feel nice and solid but can be a bit stiff to push.
The Armitron’s pushers are a great size and feel smooth as butter to press.

This round goes to the Armitron.

Round 5: The Backlight

Indiglow vs Electro Luminescence is the age old digi battle.
It’s a much of a muchness here between the Timex and the Casio as both watches have fantastic backlights. The Timex pips just ahead for me as the screen filter makes the watch look permanently illuminated during the day so it gets bonus points.

With a terrible tiny LED that makes an F91W’s backlight seem like a military searchlight in comparison, the Armitron needs to sit this round out.

Round 6: The Price

Both the Timex and the Armitron can be had for sub $150AUD while the A1000’s retail at around double that. The availability of the Armitron in Australia and lack of shipping options from the USA make it hard to get in Australia without paying upwards of $50aud for shipping through a parcel forwarding service. So this round goes to the Timex.

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Overall: The Winner

It’s hard to pick a winner here as all three watches are fantastic and really fill a void in that budget full metal category.

Most of the rivals for these three cost upwards of double the price of the Timex/Armitron and unless you want to go vintage, there aren’t many competitors in the market.

The Armitron falls into 3rd place as its just a little behind the other two in just about all categories and the difficulty obtaining one Down Under makes it that little bit harder to recommend, but it’s still a fantastic watch in its own right.

The Timex and Casio are even harder to split apart. The Timex scores extra points for the feel and the price, while the Casio is miles ahead in the finish and the bracelet.

Overall the victory in my books goes to the A1000 but the real winner in my collection is the T80 on the Casio’s bracelet.