Casio’s Edifice collection gets an update in August when Casio America adds this EFR571DB-1A1 to its online and in-store offerings. The new model carries on the overall look of the existing EQB-500 and ECB-900 families, but adds a few new, dressier stylistic edges.
The new Casio Edifice EFR571DB-1A1
The collection’s sporty, racing-focused functionality is still here, but compared to its predecessors specifically within the 570 EFR series, this model offers far fewer seconds and split-seconds markers, resulting in a significantly cleaner dial and clearer tachymeter bezel.
With the new dial and bezel treatment Casio retains all the features you’d expect within this Edifice series: chronograph, second timezone and protected steel crown.
With the collection’s 44mm steel case size, the new Edifice EFR571DB-1A1 also offers a silver stainless-steel band, black dial with red accents and an ion-plated bezel.
For the new model, Edifice moves the subdials, with the 24-hour indicator now at the 12 o’clock position and the two chronograph timing subdials at the 9 o’clock (minutes) and 6 o’clock position (seconds).
Additional features include water resistance to 100 meters, low-battery alert and a three-year battery life.
Look for the Edifice EFR571DB-1A1 in August at select retailers nationwide, as well as on Casio.com. Price: $140.
Casio’s Edifice collection has long been the more conventional, metal-cased choice for those who enjoy the laundry list of high-tech features found on Casio’s wildly popular G-Shock watches, but prefer a thinner, polished case under their sleeve. Earlier this year Casio further endeared itself to all who even sometimes want a more traditional steel watch by releasing new full-featured Edifice bracelet models inside even slimmer cases.
The Casio Edifice EQB1000D-1A
The Casio Edifice EQB1000D-1A is a recently released example of that Edifice focus. I’ve been wearing this watch for a few weeks, and it feels more luxurious than I expected for a brand known more for fit and function rather than eye-candy. Perhaps it’s the watch’s shiny aqua day/mode scale and matching second-time-zone hour hand.
Most likely, that tinge of luxury is the result of its thinness. The watch is slim (just 8.9 mm thick compared to the 13.1mm of the previous models), an update Casio made despite incorporating the same multi-hand display, Bluetooth and Tough Solar functions.
The case is 8.9 mm thick, about 30 percent thinner than the previous model, which measured 13.1mm thick.
And of course, when using the Casio Edifice app in conjunction with the watch, myriad additional features are available to wearer. Connecting via Bluetooth, the watch gets much smarter, accessing the correct time for up to 300 cities worldwide, even updating with the latest time zone and daylight saving time information.
The brushed bracelet is easy to adjust; the clasp is secure.
Also when connected, the watch resets regularly four times a day by the smartphone to show both home time and world time correctly. You can also reset the watch manually with just a push of a button when crossing between time zones.
Phone Finder
For the forgetful, however, there’s one feature that might prove to be the most useful: the Phone finder. Pressing a button on the watch causes your phone to sound a tone, even if it is in silent mode. This means you can quickly locate your phone if it’s reasonably close. I found that if I left my phone even fifteen feet away, the alarm would continue to sound.
But even without the connectivity, the watch offers more than you’d expect for what is essentially an analog model. Its dual timer enables users to view the current time plus the time in another time zone simultaneously –with a clear indication (at 12 o’clock) of daytime or nighttime at that zone. Additional features include water resistance up to 100 meters, a 1/1000th second stopwatch, 200-lap memory, a daily alarm and a full calendar.
All these features would tend to tax the battery life on a standard smartwatch, but here, despite the Bluetooth and additional connected features, the Edifice EQB-1000D is actually smarter. It doesn’t need to be charged every day, or even every month. Casio’s superior Tough Solar feature allows a fully charged internal battery to last for five months, even if you or your watch hasn’t seen any sunlight for weeks. That’s because the Edifice’s battery charges from not only sunlight, but also from any artificial source, including florescent or LED light.
Casio’s solar power system transforms even weak light from sources such as fluorescent lamps into ample energy.
The Casio Edifice EQB1000D-1A also boasts a sapphire crystal (not always found at this price point) with non-reflective coating. Priced at $330, it will be also be available with a sportier versions (with added tachymeter bezel) that opt for a black dial with red accents and a silver stainless steel band (EQB1000XD-1A; $330) and with a black dial with blue accents and a black IP coated stainless-steel band (EQB1000XDC-1A; $380).
The watch in a sportier version (with tachymeter and textured dial) is also available with red accents or with all-black case and blue accents.
Specifications: Casio Edifice EQB1000DC-1A
Tough Solar (Solar powered)
Mobile link (Wireless linking using Bluetooth
Dual time (Home city time swapping)
One-second stopwatch (measuring capacity: 23:59’59). Others: Flyback, direct timing start from the timekeeping mode
Daily alarm
Power Saving (hands stop to save power when the watch is left in the dark)
Full auto-calendar (to year 2099)
Date display
Day indicator
Regular timekeeping
Analog: 3 hands (hour, minute (hand moves every 10 seconds)
Four dials (24-hour, day, dual time hour and minute, dual time 24-hour)
Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month (with no mobile link function)
Approx. battery operating time:Five months on rechargeable battery (operation period with normal use without exposure to light after charge) or nineteen months on rechargeable battery (operation period when stored in total darkness with the power save function on after full charge)
Module: 5604
Size of case /total weight: EQB-1000D………49.9 x 45.6 x 8.9 mm / 130 g
