Casio MTP-V005 (Dress Watch) Review - John's Watch Box #5
Hey, folks. As some of you are aware, I have become interested in building a wristwatch collection again. As a college student, I tend to favor cheap watches, and I realized there was a void in my collection: A subtle, diminutive, and dressy watch. Luckily, some digging led me to find a very compelling watch at a jaw-dropping price. Behold, the Casio MTP-V005L-7B5!
Ugh, what a name. Anyway, I paid $30 for this watch brand new on eBay. It came in one piece, and I was instantly impressed. First of all...
The Dial
What a looker. It has a bold sunburst effect that reflects light beautifully. Otherwise, its silver dial is pretty conservative in its design. Price necessitates this, and it's not a bad thing. The face features classy flat roman numeral and line markers around the perimeter and a lined chapter ring within. The center of the dial is spare of the usual tacky "water resistant" text, populated only by the Casio logo.
The hands are also simplistic with some lackluster luminescence applied (good to have in any capacity, though). While the dial is minimalistic and flat, the sunburst effect gives it a sense of refinement that is unexpected at this price.
The Case
One (expected) letdown is the rudimentary brass (or possibly polished resin) construction of the case. While it looks reasonably nice when first unboxed, it will not age as gracefully as stainless steel or titanium. Its reflective (non-brushed) silver finishing makes it look less refined, but it is a $30 watch. To its credit, it does have a stainless steel case back. I cannot really complain.
The watch is very thin and slips under shirt sleeves without issue. The crown is unsigned but easy to use and a good size. The case's 40mm diameter also allows it to fit very well on many male wrists.
Glass
The watch features a flat mineral crystal that provides a reasonable degree of scratch protection. It's great to see at this price.
Lugs and Strap
The included 20mm "genuine leather" strap is very cheap and plasticky. I swapped it out for a black suede leather StrapsCo band. It ironically cost half the price of the watch itself. Thankfully, it totally classed it up and made it easier to pair with a lot of outfits. I feel that it really ties the piece together.
Movement
Inside is a simple Japanese quartz movement. It's quiet and reliable. Nothing more to say about it.
Final Thoughts
There's not a lot to say about this watch, and that's not a bad thing. For $30, I strongly believe it be one of the best values in cheap watches. It's much nicer than Casio's "MQ" analogs for not much more. Granted, you'll have to buy it off a gray market site like eBay, but there seem to be plenty for sale there. It appears that Casio has stopped producing it, though.
If you pay more, you can get a significantly better watch for sure. Some may say the design is boring, too. I disagree, but I can understand why some may it view it that way.
For my purposes, it is a versatile and elegant piece that fits my price range. It fills the aforementioned void in my current watch collection. Here is the current lineup:
- Casio LF-20W-1A: Beater digital watch, great for car work and exercising.
- Bulova Marine Star 98B203: Diver-inspired watch with a black dial.
- Timex Expedition Field Post Solar: I have the 41mm variant. You can find my review of it here. It's probably the nicest watch I own.
- This Casio MTP! It's my dressiest watch for sure.
