Casio MRW200H 7BV Review: The $30 Beater That Just Won’t Quit
The Quick Take
The Casio MRW200H-7BV is a no frills, $30 analog beater watch that has earned cult status for its toughness and simplicity. With 100m of water resistance, a crisp white dial, and a quartz movement that just won’t quit, it’s one of the best cheap watches you can buy. The lume is weak and the strap is forgettable, but for the price, it’s hard to beat. This is the definition of a disposable watch that somehow becomes indispensable.
Full Review:
Some watches are icons because of history, movie appearances, or being strapped to the wrist of some star. The Casio MRW200H 7BV, the white dial version, is iconic for a much simpler reason: it is dirt cheap and it works. For around $30, you get a rugged, disposable analog watch that looks good, takes a beating, and refuses to die. It is not perfect, not even close, but that is exactly what makes it a champ.
Why This Watch Matters
Casio is best known for its digital G Shocks, but buried in their bargain bin of analog pieces is this little resin diver style watch that punches way above expectations. It is not a certified diver, not fancy, not collectible. It is the kind of watch you buy, throw in a drawer, and forget about until you need it. And when you do, it will still be ticking.
I have owned more expensive beaters. The Timex Rugged Core Analog, for example, is a better watch in almost every way. It feels sturdier, the lume is stronger, and it is built with a bit more refinement. But it is also nearly double the price. The Casio MRW200H fills a different role: it is the disposable one you do not mind destroying.
And destroy it we did. My youngest son wore one while bombing around on a longboard. He took a nasty fall, shredded his arm, and the watch face looked like it had been raked with barbed wire. The acrylic crystal was gouged beyond recognition. But the watch kept ticking. That is the MRW200H in a nutshell.
Specs and Build
- Case: Black resin, 44mm wide on paper, closer to 41mm at the bezel
- Thickness: 11.6mm
- Lug to lug: 47.9mm
- Water resistance: 100m (not ISO rated)
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Movement: Miyota 5125 quartz, plus or minus 20 seconds a month, about 3 year battery life
- Strap: 18mm rubber (flares to 24mm near case), plastic buckle
Let us not sugarcoat it: the materials are cheap. The resin case feels like plastic because it is plastic. The crystal is acrylic, which means it will scratch if you even look at it the wrong way. The strap is serviceable but flimsy. The crown is push pull, not screw down. The bezel spins both ways with no clicks.
And yet it works. The bezel turns smoothly and has enough tension to stay put. The crystal, despite scratches, will not shatter. The case is light, comfortable, and shrugs off impacts. The quartz movement is dead reliable. For thirty bucks, that is all you need.
On the Wrist
Here is where the MRW200H shines. Despite the big dimensions on paper, it wears much smaller thanks to the sloping case and lightweight resin. At just 39 grams total, you barely feel it on your wrist. The white dial is crisp, clean, and highly legible. The black bezel and case contrast perfectly with the oversized numerals. It almost has that old school Submariner vibe, if the Submariner had been mass produced by a budget calculator company.
The lume is weak. It fades quickly, and on this white dial version, the markers are not as evenly matched as the hands. In the dark, you can tell time for about five minutes, then it is game over. But again, we are talking thirty bucks, not three hundred.
Beater Status Confirmed
This is not a watch you baby. This is the watch you wear when mowing the lawn, working on the car, or hitting the beach. It is the one you hand to your kid when they want a real watch but you do not want to risk handing over your Seiko. It is the watch you do not care about until you realize you have had it for years, and it is still running on the same battery.
And that is the beauty of it. The Casio MRW200H does not ask you to care. It does not ask you to service it, polish it, or even protect it. You wear it, abuse it, and when it finally dies, which could take longer than you expect, you toss it and buy another one.
Final Verdict
- 100m water resistant, 3-hand analog, day/date display, 12/24 hr
Is the Casio MRW200H 7BV perfect? Absolutely not. The lume is weak, the acrylic scratches, and the strap is junk. But that is missing the point. This is a $30 watch that is rugged, reliable, and almost disposable in the best way possible.
For me, it earns a permanent spot in the collection. Not because it is refined, but because it represents what a true beater should be: affordable, functional, and unpretentious. The fact that NASA pilots strap them to their suits only adds to the legend.
Should you buy one? Yes. For the price of a pizza, you get a watch that can survive a longboard crash, a weekend camping trip, or just daily life without complaint. The Casio MRW200H is not trying to be anything other than what it is, and that is why it rules.
Blair Witkowski is an avid watch nut, loves pocket knives and flashlights, and when he is not trying to be a good dad to his nine kids, you will find him running or posting pics on Instagram. Besides writing articles for Tech Writer EDC he is also the founder of Lowcountry Style & Living. In addition to writing, he is focused on improving his client’s websites for his other passion, Search Engine Optimization. His wife Jennifer and he live in coastal South Carolina.