CASIO GOES MECHANICAL THE EDIFICE EFK-100

With it's latest release, Casio enters the world of mechanicals for the first time, chasing a space long dominated by the Seiko 5s, Citizen Tsuyosas, and Tissot PRXs of the world

- By Sharan Sanil

Casio making a mechanical watch in 2025 feels a little like seeing your dad buy a Ducati at 60 — thrilling, unexpected, and just a bit confusing. For fifty years, the brand has built its reputation on quartz precision, from the 1974 Casiotron to the G-Shock to the humble F-91W. Casio was the quartz brand, and that identity was deliberate.

Then came the Edifice EFK-100, Casio's first-ever automatic. It's a bold move on paper, but also a risky one. The entry-level mechanical market is crowded with proven favourites: the Seiko 5 Sports, Citizen Tsuyosa, and, past the Rs 50,000 mark, the Tissot PRX. The question isn't just whether Casio can make a good product—it's whether it can offer a genuinely compelling new way to enter this hobby at all.

DAILY-DRIVER WORTHY

What struck me most about the EFK-100 is how restrained it feels. The Edifice line has often leaned hard into motorsport theatrics, but this one takes a quieter, more confident approach. Its proportions—39mm diameter, 12.5mm thickness, and 43.5mm lug-to-lug—sit comfortably in the sweet spot for everyday wear, making it a versatile choice for first-time buyers.

The standout model, the EFK-100XPB, is Casio's first Edifice to feature forged carbon on both the dial and case. It’s lightweight, rigid, and marbled in a way that feels premium without being loud. As Tadashi Kojima, Casio's Product Planning Lead, put it, the material was chosen to “express the image of performance tuning, like a sports car built for speed.” It’s a nod to Edifice’s motorsport DNA, but unlike the recent ECB-2000 SOSPENSIONE with its F1 suspension-bridge lugs or the Nismo x Casio collab, this one feels refreshingly restrained.