Game Changer…? Casio Launches its First Mechanical Watch, the Edifice EFK-100 Automatic

It’s been several years since the Swiss abandoned the truly affordable, sub-400-euro mechanical watch category. Once a gateway to Swiss mechanical watchmaking at reasonable prices, lower-end Swatch Group brands (Tissot and Hamilton) are now priced above that range. This situation, however, has been extremely beneficial to two Japanese giants, a sort of duopoly composed of Citizen and Seiko, even though the latter has recently increased its entry prices. And if you think about it, there must be room for more, and another Japanese giant is on its way to challenge the hegemony of its compatriots. Casio, the brand known for its quartz and digital watches, enters the affordable mechanical watch category with the release of its first automatic watch, the Edifice EFK-100 Automatic series. 

In its nearly 80-year history (note that the brand’s first watch, the Casiotron QW02, was released in 1974), Casio, the “other” giant Japanese watchmaker, among other activities, has never produced a mechanical watch. Indeed, besides being born in an era when quartz or electronic watches didn’t exist, the Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, has never made a watch with a movement powered by a mainspring. Until now, that is, with the launch of the Edifice EFK-100 Automatic, the watch collection that has the Citizen Tsuyosa and its variations in its crosshairs. The same overall inspiration and focus on accessibility, but with a different logo on the dial.

What we’re looking at has nothing in common with the brand’s famous 1980s digital watches or G-Shock models. It’s part of a line of more traditional metal models named Edifice, which has been milling around discreetly for years, always with battery-powered movements. But now is the time for the Edifice collection to make a lot more noise, as Casio lands its first mechanical watches with the Edifice EFK-100 Automatic series.

What we’re looking at is a classic, angular, sharp, Japanese-style, sporty-chic watch with an integrated bracelet. It’s not a new recipe by any stretch of the imagination. Citizen uses it with the Tsuyosa, the Zenshin 60 and the Series 8, as do countless other brands, and yet it feels like an appropriate starting point in the affordable mechanical watch category. The Edifice EFK-100 Automatic is reasonably sized at 39mm, made of polished and brushed stainless steel (at least for four of the five models), and fairly short at 43.5mm, excluding the first link of the bracelet. The thickness is 12.4mm, which is on the thick side, but that’s one of the compromises made for affordability. The polished steel bezel is round (again, on four of the five models) and frames a sapphire crystal. The back has a see-through crystal too, this time mineral glass, and water-resistance is decent, at 100m. Considering the sub-300 euros price, these feel like very decent specs.

There’s a fifth version, which replaces steel with forged carbon… Typically used for higher-end watches, Tissot also incorporated it into its PRX collection. Here, the middle case is forged carbon, matte and paired with matte elements in black PVD (bezel, crown, back and connecting link). All other specs remain consistent with the steel models, but the watch comes on a black FKM rubber strap instead of a steel bracelet. It is closed by a black-coated folding clasp, and no quick-change system is included. Too bad, but then again, we’re in accessible territory.

Moving to the dial, colours and materials differ depending on the models, yet the overall style is unchanged. A raised ring with a concentric pattern frames the textured central plate. This, in turn, hosts the surprisingly detailed applied markers, which seem to float over the dial and are finished with brushed upper surfaces and polished facets. The dial is framed by an angled inner flange with a minute/seconds track, and the openworked hands, with small lume inserts, feel consistent with the markers. Overall, it’s quite detailed and presents a pleasant sense of symmetry, as the date at 6 o’clock aligns with the logos.

As mentioned, five versions are available. The steel models are available with a textured dial (electroforming process) that recalls the patterns of forged carbon. You have a choice of silver (EFK-100D-7A), green (EFK-100D-3A) or blue (EFK-100D-2A). Next is another steel model with a black dial made of forged carbon (EFK-100CD-1A). Lastly, the full-forged carbon Casio Edifice Automatic (EFK-100XPB-1A) features a matching dial and opts for blacked-out elements throughout, including the hands, markers, and date disc.

Apart from the carbon edition, all models come with a familiar-looking H-link stainless steel bracelet, with partially faceted and polished inner links. Finishing is brushed on most flat surfaces, with polished flanks. It is closed by a deployant buckle with push buttons. No micro-adjustment or quick-change systems are included.

Now, on to the big question… How did Casio, a watchmaking giant exclusively focused on electronic and quartz watches until recently, manage to bring an automatic movement? Simple answer. It’s not in-house. The movement is outsourced from another Japanese giant, Seiko. What we’re looking at is a Malaysia-made NH35A, a well-known movement also known as the 4R35 when used in a Seiko watch. Widely used, fairly robust, and serviceable, this automatic movement runs at 3Hz and stores a 41-hour power reserve. It has hand-winding capacity, a quick-set date and hacking seconds. It is visible under the mineral glass caseback, even if the finishing is pretty rough. Nothing bad here, it’s a well-rounded movement that’s nothing uncommon in this segment.

Availability, Price and thoughts

The Casio Edifice EFK-100 Automatic collection, the first mechanical watch from the Japanese group, has started to land in most global markets, with some references available or not, depending on your location. Price starts at a fair EUR 279 or USD 280 for the steel models in silver, blue or green. This places the Casio Edifice Automatic in the same category as the Citizen Tsuyosa 40mm (€ 299). The steel model with a carbon dial is just a bit more expensive, at EUR 299 or USD 300. The full-forged carbon edition on a rubber strap pushes the price up to EUR 449 (not listed in the US), quite a lot less than a forged carbon PRX.

So, what can we make of Casio’s first mechanical watch? Well, it feels like a well-rounded watch that has the right arguments to compete with the now-established Citizen Tsuyosa, some Seiko Sports 5 models, watches from Orient (Mako or Bambino, even if different in style) or automatic models from Timex. And we need to mention Swatch with the Sistem51 (which is available for prices between € 165 and € 290 with the the Blancpain collab being offer for €400). Nor can we exclude the fierce competition from China. On that note, the Edifice EFK-100 Automatic doesn’t hide its provenance, with the movement made by Seiko in Malaysia and the rest of the watch cased in China (as written on the back).

Casio has a very strong name in the affordable watch game, but only with digital and quartz watches. Switching to mechanical is an interesting move. However, it means approaching a different target group, and the name Edifice is not well-known. Overall, this Casio Edifice EFK-100 Automatic feels, for now, like it’s testing the ground in the mechanical field with minimal manufacturing investments from the group, at least regarding the movement. Will we see an in-house development in the future if the Edifice EFK-100 succeeds? Considering the scale and power of Casio, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see that, but it’ll take time.