First Impressions

The outdoor and motorsports-oriented Casio Edifice Black Label Chronograph was brought to our attention by the guys over at WatchCo.com. It’s a stylish all-black chronograph of the 24 hour variety. Ours arrived in a striking metal canister and, thanks to its easily adjustable resin band, was ready to go seconds after arrival.

Features

Casio makes the Edifice Black Label Chronograph from stainless steel. The case is a modest 41 millimeters and the lug distance is 22 millimeters. Around the bezel, you’ll find a built-in tachymeter for calculating speed over distances.

On the watch face are three dials in addition to the traditional analog watch face. Working in a clockwise direction, the first of these dials tracks each hour over a 24 hour period. The second works as a second hand during normal operation and doubles as the 1/20th second hand during stopwatch operation. And finally, there’s the stopwatch minute hand. There’s a date window as well.

On the case, you’ll find two buttons in addition to the standard crown. Crown operation is pretty standard stuff. Pull out one stop to adjust date. Two stops for time adjustment. The two buttons operate the stopwatch. Press the top button to start and end the stopwatch. Press the bottom button to operate the flyback to zero. Button press is a solid click at initial start and soft at stop. The chronograph itself can record up to 59 minutes 59.95 seconds. Button operation is a little difficult as they’re located fairly low on the case.

Specs
Construction: Stainless steel, mineral crystal, rubber band
Movement: Japanese quartz
Diameter: 41mm
Weight: 83g
Water resistance: 10BAR or 100M

The standard watch face hands and numerals are luminescent, and are easy to read after modest exposure to sunlight.

The Edifice Black Label Chronograph is water resistant up to 10 BAR or 100 meters. But as you probably know, water resistance is not a substitute for water proofing. In other words, don’t go pressing those chronograph buttons when submerged.

Fit

The Edifice Black Label Chronograph features a resin band. It’s much stiffer and less pliable than those more modern silicon bands. But once on your wrist, it’s quite comfortable. The band includes 11 lugs about three millimeters apart to fit just about any wrist size.

Final Verdict

Nicely done Casio. The Edifice Black Label Chronograph is solid without feeling over weight. It’s easily readable in both sunlight and darkness thanks to the luminescent dial. Stopwatch operation is easy. At $180, it’s a relative bargain too. No wonder the Edifice Black Label is a bestseller on the WatchCo.com website.

Thanks for reading another outdoor gear review from GearGuide. And thanks to WatchCo.com for providing product for this review.