The New Casio “Nismo” EQS-930NIS-1AER Watch Is Possibly The Best Edifice Model Ever

Where you stand on the Casio Edifice collection will have a lot to do with how you receive this watch. In fact, if you’re a die-hard G-Shock aficionado as I am and many of my colleagues are, the Edifice line might even struggle to enter the realm of consideration! However, one of the real privileges of my job is that I am forced to encounter watches I would otherwise have dismissed because of bias or misconception. As it is, I’ve spent the last few days with the Casio “Nismo” EQS-930NIS-1AER watch on my wrist and, I have to say, I’m more impressed than I wanted to be.

Believe it or not (and I’m sure it’s actually quite easy to believe), oftentimes, I actively don’t want to like watches. I am sick to the back teeth of going gooey at the knees for novelties I really shouldn’t be trying to justify adding to my collection. I’m an addict. It wouldn’t surprise me if you identify as the same. No matter how many watches I own, it never seems to be enough. Sometimes I feel guilty about owning so many and consider purging my collection. But then, like Gollum, I come skulking back to my proverbial “precious” ones with pleas for forgiveness drenching my lips.

An unwilling dance partner

Nominally speaking, I am not a fan of the Edifice collection from Casio. I will admit, however, to having been stopped in my tracks on more than one occasion by Edifice watches calling to me from boutique windows. That’s probably thanks to Casio’s bold and sensibly applied use of vibrant accent colors (neon watermelon seconds hands, vivid green text, shocking blue indices and the like). But really, I’ve always managed to tear myself away at the last moment, despite the very attractive price point, the laundry list of functions, and the uncanny ability of some models to recall the crisp lines of the modern Seiko Astron range that retails for close to ten times the price…

The new Casio “Nismo” EQS-930NIS-1AER watch was not on my radar. Not only is it a Casio Edifice, but it is also not the type of Edifice that has tempted me in the past. This is something new for me. I had a brief experience with a similar model last year, but, somehow, it was this one that got under my skin.

Getting busy being amused

To be honest, my main criticism is that many of these models tend to be a bit busy. The dial of the Honda limited edition I reviewed last year was just that. There was simply too much going on for me to really consider buying the watch. I always enjoy wearing them, though. That’s never in doubt. They make such a statement for the money, it’s hard not to be at least amused by them.

It’s watches like this that bring a cheeky, unexpected curl to the corner of my mouth. And it’s wearing them that reminds me of why I love this hobby. Yes, there is prestige to be had. Yes, there are watches that are important to the industry and followers thereof. Those pieces elicit a sense of pride or even responsibility in their wearers. But, for the most part, it should be about fun. And the Casio “Nismo” EQS-930NIS-1AER is definitely that.

A sucker for retrograde

I do love a retrograde display. I’ve often thought that retrograde indicators are peerless in their ability to add visual interest to a dial without disrupting symmetry. They are the watchmaker’s “get out of jail free card” and should be used more often, in my opinion.

Another thing I’m a fan of is legible and genuinely useful chronograph read-outs. Most chronographs have a seconds hand, a 30- or 60-minute register, and possibly a counter measuring up to 12 hours. However, I find I use my chronographs much more often to time shorter intervals (usually in the 5–10 minute range). Rare it is indeed that I leave my chronograph running for hours and actually remember to stop it at the conclusion of an event I had, for some reason, felt the need to time.

As such, I like shorter minute scales and I like when they are given prominence on the dial. Here we have a ten-minute retrograde counter dominating the left-hand side of the dial. The scale itself is an anodized curve shifting from orange to purple to blue in color. It is, quite simply, awesome. The transitioning color reminds me of split petrol and the whole set-up recalls a high-tech dashboard of a racing car. This is particularly appropriate considering…

This watch is a collaboration with NISMO

Have you ever heard of NISMO? No, not the little orange-and-white clownfish with the dodgy fin. NISMO stands for Nissan Motorsport International Limited, so it is no wonder that this car has a petrolhead personality. Now, I prefer the subtler hints to the partnership (as I always do). But for those who like things a little more obvious, you’ll find the Nissan number (23) prominently highlighted in red on the bezel. You’ll also find the NISMO wordmark engraved between the 60 and 10 of the fixed bezel scale.

Nissan Motorsport International Limited is a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Company concerned with styling, racing, and performance. This watch is intended to be an embodiment thereof. I do not care one little bit about the collaboration, to be quite honest. I do, however, actually like the result! This watch is solar-powered and water-resistant to a reassuring 100 meters. The legible chronograph tracks 10-minute intervals via the retrograde hand between 9 and 11. It also records up 60 minutes total on the sub-dial at 6 o’clock. The watch also features a date and a 24-hour indicator, and a resin tire-tread strap ties the whole package together.

Wearability and a nice “hidden” feature

All told, the weight comes in around 100g. The measurements — 47.5mm diameter, 12.3mm thick, and 52mm lug-to-lug — wear a lot better than the black and white figures suggest they might. I’m a big fan of the sneaky, Nautilus-esque flair on the left-hand side of the case, which is mirrored by the crown guards on the right. This accounts for a few of those millimeters without adding to the overall heft or footprint of the watch on the wrist too much at all.

Probably my favorite “hidden” feature when it comes to this particular Casio Edifice is the power reserve indicator, which you can find in the bottom left-hand sector of the chronograph seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. The letters “H”, “M”, and “L” stand for high, medium, and low. This gauge can be activated by pressing the bottom chronograph pusher so that the small chronograph seconds hand temporarily points in their direction to indicate how much juice you have left in the tank. Neat, eh? For that reason, as well as the quieter performance of this sub-€300 warrior on the wrist, I’m giving this model a surprising thumbs up for fans of racing and younger watch lovers looking to buy into a less mainstream branch of the Casio tree. Learn more about the brand here.

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