Watch enthusiasm is a hobby that, as observed over my decades of interest, has some peculiarities. For one thing, while we as hobbyists often own boxes full of watches, more than a few of us counterintuitively idealise the “one watch” person; the owner who has worn their (for example) Rolex GMT through thick and thin, it now being a battered, faded-bezel memoir to adventures embarked upon and sights seen. Another peculiarity centres around the sheer number of watches that we own as enthusiasts. It is not surprising that there are numerous threads on popular forums about selecting a specific watch for “the office”, “outdoors and hiking”, “special occasions” and even (in more than a few instances) a “watch for an island beach vacation”.

Given that I currently reside in the Caribbean, I find the concept of an “island/beach vacation watch” a bit humorous; were I to follow recommendations on social media, I would wear dive watches and nothing else! In reality however, I live a fair distance away from tourist beach destinations and my normal activities hardly involve dunks in water. Maybe then, this may grant me a slightly different perspective on what a “beach vacation watch” could actually be.

Prior to my first hands-on with this Casio Edifice EMA-100, selecting a “vacation watch” was not remotely on my agenda. However, once I had the Casio on wrist, the bright blue colour of the 120-click rotating bezel and “200m” dial text, along with the hints of neon green, evoked memories of idyllic beaches and reefs. The slightly domed mineral crystal, propeller motif for the indicator at the top left, along with a dial pattern reminiscent of a yacht’s deck, bolstered that initial take on the Edifice.

The Casio Edifice EMA-100 has a 46mm case, 43mm bezel width, 22mm lugs and 48mm lug-to-lug dimension. As with all dive watches, I have found that bezel width appears to give a truer indication of a dive watch’s perceived size, rather than case width. It is no surprise therefore that these dimensions, along with the protruding “guard” at the lower right and polished case with brushed lugs, all make this watch wear similarly to a Seiko Turtle.

The Casio Edifice EMA-100 is as feature packed as expected, with tide graph/moon phase complications, a thermometer, world time, five daily alarms and the obligatory stopwatch and countdown timer. Time itself is displayed via analogue hands, with two negative-LCD displays for day, date and time/seconds as desired. Casio’s “Super Illuminator” LED light is superbly bright and renders the existing lume virtually unnecessary. Lastly, the watch is ISO 764 magnetic resistant.

After having worn the Casio Edifice EMA-100 for some months, I maintain that this watch to me, defines what a “beach vacation watch” should be. Its functionality makes the watch suitable for any marine environment with its dive ready WR, tide and temperature monitoring. The case and colourway also fit right in with any beach villa one might be at. Lastly, the included GMT capability is a boon, since many vacation destinations may be outside of one’s local time zone. In fact, it feels like a modern take on a dive watch (without the hefty price tag of say, a G Shock Frogman or the complexity of a dive computer).

Downsides to the Casio Edifice EMA-100 aren’t many. Firstly, it is out of production, meaning that it can only be procured used for around 100 USD (I scored this for 60 USD). The case size is a bit large, but the short lug-to-lug should make it tolerable on wrists from 7 inches and above. Moreover, the ana-digi display of this watch won’t be for everyone.

As an overall package, the Casio Edifice EMA-100 leverages a familiar case style, modern technology and an overall attractive appearance to make a well-sorted marine sport watch, worth the price of admission for any enthusiast.