Accuracy Comparison: Casio vs Longines Watches

Accuracy Comparison: Casio vs Longines Watches

When it comes to keeping accurate time, the debate between Casio and Longines watches often arises. It is a common misconception that Longines watches are superior, given their brand reputation and luxurious craftsmanship. However, the reality is quite different, with Casio watches actually providing better timekeeping performance due to their quartz mechanisms.

Quartz vs. Automatic Movements

The majority of Longines watches are automatic (mechanical) or quartz, while Casio watches are primarily digital and quartz. This fundamental difference in movement types directly impacts the timekeeping performance of these watches.

Casio Watches - Timekeeping Accuracy

Most Casio watches are digital and quartz, ensuring they keep extremely precise time. Quartz movements use an oscillator crystal that vibrates at a constant frequency, which is far more accurate than the mechanical movements found in most Longines watches. On average, a Casio quartz watch will lose or gain only a few seconds per month, usually within ±15 seconds. This level of accuracy is comparable to the best standard quartz watches available.

Longines Watches - Timekeeping Accuracy

Longines watches, on the other hand, are typically automatic, which means they rely on the wearer's movement to wound the mainspring. As a result, the timekeeping of Longines watches can vary more, often losing or gaining a few seconds per day. Over a month, this can result in a deviation of several seconds, making them less accurate than Casio quartz watches.

Personal Experience and Observations

I recently purchased two F-91W models from Thailand for less than $10 each from eBay. Upon wearing these watches for two weeks, I observed that they lost less than one second per day on my wrist. While I have seen better accuracy in some quartz wrist chronometers, anything with less than -3 seconds per week would pass any wrist chronometer test. For even higher accuracy, one might consider Bulova models, a division of Citizen Watch Co., that claim ±10 seconds per year on the wrist.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while both Casio and Longines watches can provide good timekeeping, Casio quartz watches generally outperform Longines automatic watches in terms of accuracy. If precision and reliability are top priorities, a Casio quartz watch is likely to be the better choice.