Review of the Casio Edifice EQW

In my opinion, this watches gift represents Casio's competition to the Oceanus models. It's got a very similar feature set and a list price of $450. What sets it apart immediately is the striking two-level dial. As you can see, the lower left portion is about 3mm lower than the rest, showing an asymmetric 24-hour dial that mostly looks cool. It also resembles the structure of a balance wheel in a mechanical watch, which I suspect was deliberate. The upper dial level is translucent, showing a bit of the under-structure, and the overall effect is pleasant and intriguing. There are several design touches around the dial to note: the applied hour markers at 2, 4, 8 and 10 o'clock that resemble slotted screw heads, the nice even PVD finish on the contrasting bezel, the unusual use of a marker-on-dial for the indicator at 10 o'clock, and the deeply inset 24-hour dial at 2 o'clock. A lot of thought and effort went into how the bell & ross watches presents, which is something you'll appreciate as you wear it long-term.In terms of function, this Casio is, as you'd expect, a laundry list of awesome. No one does quartz like Casio, Citizen, and Seiko -- as of this posting there isn't another manufacture that has radio-reception, solar and multi-motor analog. The triple play of solar, atomic, and quartz means that you never have to change the battery, never have to set the time, and never have to sweat when daylight savings takes effect.Today's review is of the Casio Edifice EQW-M1000DB-1ACR, introduced at Basel 2009. It's a multifunction analog quartz bags gift with an unusual dial.Specifications:Six-band atomic set (Japan, US, UK, Germany and China - state of the art).Tough solar power. This is Casio's G-Shock technology, meaning its shock-resistant solar power with a rechargeable battery.  Five motors driving the various hands and dials.World time (29 cities, as seen around the chapter ring). Daily alarm.1/20th of a second stopwatch.Countdown timer.PVD-plated tachemeter bezel.Stainless steel case, and solid-link bracelet with push release.Mineral crystal.Keep reading for the rest of the review and pictures.