I've always wanted the sleek Casio World Time Digital Watch. However, I didn't want to spend $65 on something I knew I wouldn't be using that much since I don't often travel to other time zones.

I know buying an homage is never going to be as good as the original but I was curious enough to spend $11... so I bought the SKMEI 1338. So is this a good watch for $11? 

($11 on Aliexpress but less than 500PHP on Shopee Philippines -- links at the end of this post)

Specifications:

  • Case width: 33mm
  • Length: 39mm
  • Thickness: 11mm
  • Lug Width: 18mm (In between the lugs)
  • Bracelet: 24mm at the widest point to 15mm at the clasp area
  • Weight: 50g
  • Water Resistance: 30M (for handwashing and occasional splashes)

The case material is plastic with a black metallic coating. As for the bracelet, it's made with folded stainless steel with black PVD coating.

Looking at the listing on Alibaba, it says they use a Seiko digital quartz movement. I opened it to see but it was covered in stickers and I was reluctant to dissect it any further.

As for the functions, it has the main time, a second time, an alarm, a stop watch, and a countdown. It also has an electroluminescent backlight.

Some sellers have listed it as "World Time" but unlike the Casio World Time which has multiple time zones (4, I think), the SKMEI 1338 can only keep 1 extra time zone. Essentially, this is a dual time watch, not a World Time watch -- although it can be argued that "World Time" does not necessarily mean multiple time zones.

As for the alarm, I wanted to note that the SKMEI only beeps 10 times while my Casio F105W beeps 20 times. The Casio F105W alarm is also louder. One is not necessarily better than the other. Some people need a louder alarm, some people prefer a quieter alarm. 

Pros:

  • Seiko Digital Quartz Movement: For $11, I'm getting a Seiko digital quartz movement. It makes me pretty confident with the reliability and longevity of the watch.
  • Crisp Display: Usually the cheap digital watches have a digital display that's too light or faded. That's not the case with this watch.
  • Electroluminescent Backlight: I also like that they use an electroluminescent backlight. It's not the best, because you need to have it in the correct angle to clearly see it with both eyes. However, it's much better than the weak lightbulb of the Casio F91W.
  • Good Looks: If you don't mind it being a blatant copy of the Casio A500, it's a good looking watch.

Cons:

  • The "World Time" Function: It's NOT a world time. It's a dual time watch. You can only set for a second time zone. When setting the 2nd time zone, the map above doesn't really follow along with the location. You'd have to be familiar with the world's city codes to get the time you want.
  • Tough to size: - I had a tough time sizing the bracelet. I could not close the clasp here with my bare fingers so I had to use pliers. Now, the clasp looks beat up because of the pliers. Good thing the black coating didn't easily come off.
  • Tough Buttons: The buttons are hard to press. My fingertips were sore after initially setting the time. Because of that, I mainly use it for just checking the time. Nothing that requires me pressing buttons too much.
  • The end-corner of the bracelet chafes: I don't know if it's the same with the Casio A500 but I imagine all metal bracelets like this will have the same problem.
  • Complicated or Non-intuitive Stopwatch and Countdown:  For example, with the stopwatch, pressing "Reset" does not reset the time to zero. You'd have to press "Light". Also, I found the countdown to be unusable as I'd have to randomly press things to get it to work. Perhaps it's just me, I'm not as bright as I used to be.

Overall, there are a lot of downsides for this $11 watch. I wouldn't give it to someone as a gift given the initial difficulties. However, I would personally keep mine since I've already gotten over the resizing and time-setting hurdle. It's a good beater watch for international travel!

Where to buy:

SKMEI 1338 in Aliexpress (Affiliate Link) - for buyers outside the Philippines

SKMEI 1338 in Shopee Philippines (not an Affiliate Link) for buyers within the Philippines