As I mentioned in the recent review over at Knapsack, I feel like I’ve seen a LOT of the Casio Edifice catalog, and they keep introducing variations in the lineup. In other words, if you don’t like what you see here, check out what else they have, and they may have a color combo or style that you prefer. Today, we’ll be talking about the black-and-gold Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C.
While the piece we reviewed over at Knapsack was definitely a stealth fighter, this one I called the full metal jacket. Now, the ECB900 line has a metal case in general, but here the steel is untreated, and it comes on a steel bracelet as well (which is always a good thing in my book).
As with the all of the Casio Edifice lineup (these days), the Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C features a tough solar movement, which means that, not only will the watch put up with your day to day, it’s solar-powered so it will just keep on ticking away so long as you expose it to light. And if you have it shoved away in a drawer? Well, it smartly turns itself off while still tracking the time. It’s sort of fun to watch the watch re-align itself once you get it back in the light.
In my book, a solar-powered watch is great for just about anyone. Sure, automatic watches are the epitome of day-to-day “it just works” functionality, but there’s a maintenance quotient there as well. With a solar-powered quartz, it just goes and goes and goes so long as it’s got that light energy coming in.
As with the rest of the Edifice lineup, the Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C has a lot of functionality to it, which can be complex to work through and setup using the analog dial and pushers. Sure, you’ve got two LCD screens in the mix helping you out, but still – it’s not always the most intuitive unless you’ve lived with the watch for a month or more. Enter the connected app on your smarthphone. The Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C has a bluetooth module in it (only powered up when you engage it via the crown pusher) that then allows it to connect to your phone.
Once you’ve connected the Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C to your phone, it can reset itself to the local time your phone picks up on (handy for traveling), adjust the world time that you want to track, and even pull over your lap times from the latest laps (running or driving) that you ran. Frankly, it makes owning a watch like this a much simpler premise (and then you don’t need to worry about atomic radio or satellite syncing for accurate times).
Oh, you know what? I kind of blew by what functions the Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C has on tap. Here’s a quick rundown (and it’s worth noting that the LCD displays will change depending on the mode):
- Chronograph
- Stopwatch Lap Timer
- Alarm
- UTC / World Time
If you’re having trouble remembering what all of the pushers do, you’ve got two options. First, in the connected app, there’s a manual and also some walk throughs, depending on the tab you’re on. Second, you’ve got the caseback of the watch. There, they’ve engraved what each of the pushers do, which can be a big help as you learn the watch (and it looks so much better than having it printed on the bezel).
Compared to the one I reviewed over at Knapsack, the Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C is a dressier-looking piece. Sure, it’s not exactly full of high-polish surfaces, but the combination of being on a bracelet and the black-and-gold dial makes it feel a bit more upscale. Of the two, I found myself preferring this one. It felt at home at the office, but still was not out of place with jeans on the weekends. And hey, it’s even the same price – just $200. It may not be my favorite of all the Edifice line (that honor goes to this one), but if you’re on the look for a solid every-day watch, this is one worth considering. edifice.casio.com
Review Summary
- Brand & Model: Casio Edifice ECB900DB-1C
- Price: $200
- Who?s it for? You want a solid, everyday watch
- Would I wear it? Every now and again
- What I?d change: The strap just feels cheap, and feels like it’ll get stress cracks before too long. Upgrade to a soft-touch silicone or real rubber, please.
- The best thing about it: Solar and bluetooth, a solid combo
Tech Specs from Casio
- Solar-powered
- 100m WR
- Bluetooth smartphone link
- 1/1000-second stopwatch
- Measuring capacity: 00’00″000~59’59″999 (for the first 60 minutes) 1:00’00″0~23:59’59″9 (after 60 minutes)
- Measuring unit: 1/1000 second (for the first 60 minutes) 1/10 second (after 60 minutes)
- Measuring modes: Elapsed time, lap time
- Recorded data: Up to 200 records (measurement lap times)
