When you look at the Casio F91W it looks like something straight out of “Stranger Things” (which it actually featured in). It oozes more 80s vibes than the gang riding their bikes on the way to play Dungeons & Dragons in Mike’s basement. You really don’t even need to know much about watches to formulate the idea. All it takes is a quick glance and you can plainly see the design language taking you back decades.

Designed in 1989 and modeled after the 1984 DW-240, the Casio F91W is small, lightweight, digital bargain represents a watch made for the masses. How many people really care about tourbillions and minute repeaters? How many people can afford a watch in gold or platinum? (Piss off, Nixon.) The answer: a whole lot fewer than those who just want a simple, cheap, digital watch to slap on the wrist and not worry about until the next battery change.

With a case and bracelet made of resin and a small lcd screen, the Casio F91W is my construction site companion. Do you really need to spend 7x as much money on a chunky G-Shock when you can nab one of these 8.5mm thick sleuths for less than $25? Stick your arm through that tangle of steel rebar and this slim little guy will come straight down with you. Graze up against a concrete panel? Cool! A few extra scratches for character. Need to see what time it is in the dark? …the dismal LED on one side of the display which does approximately nothing won’t save you here. So don’t take it with you fighting demogorgons in the Upside Down. Or swimming, for those who are a little less inclined to the paranormal. And for the love of god, don’t wear it with a suit.

The first time I wore this around my friends (who don’t understand our manic fascination with watches) one of them asked me “is that a Casio?” It’s also famously known to be the watch of Al-Qaeda. That’s right! You can wear the Casio F91W with the safe knowledge that you are at least as good a person as a terrorist. Such esteem! Although, you might want to give some wrist time a miss on your way through the airport…

And so we arrive at the value proposition. For less than $25 you get a slim digital watch made of resin. You don’t need to baby it and it won’t be a magnet to door jambs and chairs. You might not be able to go swimming with the Casio F91W or read it in the dark too well, but you do get a stopwatch, an alarm and a day-date display which also keeps track of the month (but not leap years). It doesn’t come with the tough-as-nails pedigree that a G-Shock does, but in terms of affordability, style and cool factor, the Casio F91W is hard to argue with. As small as it might be, this watch packs a punch for reputation and is instantly recognised as a classic Casio. You don’t need to know what it is to know what it is, and that is something many brands only dream they could say about themselves.