Casio’s Duro puts elapsed-time tracking on the bezel

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The Casio Duro puts an elapsed-time bezel around a three-hand quartz watch. Turn the bezel to mark a starting point, then read the minutes off it as the minute hand moves. That one extra ring gives the MDV106-1A a real job beyond telling time, and there’s no menu to open or mode button to remember.

The black-dial model pairs a stainless steel case with a black resin strap, a date window and a screw-lock crown. The appeal is simple controls and a dial you can read at a glance.

Price: $67.88
Where to buy: Amazon

A timer you can read on the dial

The MDV106-1A uses an anti-reverse rotating bezel. Line its starting marker up with the minute hand, and the bezel scale shows the elapsed minutes as that hand advances. Use it for a short walk, something on the stove, or any interval you want to track at a glance.

The bezel is a visual timer, not an alarm. The normal time display stays put, so you read the current time and the elapsed interval on the same face. Three hands and a date window keep the rest of the dial uncluttered.

Large luminous areas on the hands and hour markers sit against the black dial. The silver-toned markers and broad hands give the face strong contrast, and the marlin emblem sits above six o’clock.

Quartz power and a full-size case

Casio rates the battery at about three years on an SR626SW cell. Quartz timekeeping also means the watch doesn’t depend on wrist movement to keep running. If you rotate between several watches, that kills the winding routine that comes with a mechanical model.

Accuracy is rated at ±20 seconds per month. A screw-lock crown handles adjustments, and the date sits beside the three o’clock marker.

Casio’s US dimensions are 48.5 x 44.2 x 12.1 mm, with a total weight of 92 g. The 44.2 mm width and 12.1 mm thickness are the numbers to compare with a watch you already wear. The resin strap and polished case also give this version a different look from a steel-bracelet diver. Mineral glass covers the dial.

Read the water rating precisely

The Duro has a 200-meter water-resistance rating, a screw-lock back and a screw-lock crown. Casio’s own product page lists swimming and snorkeling uses, while explicitly identifying the MDV106-1A as not an ISO-rated dive watch. A big depth number on the dial isn’t the same thing as that certification.

Screw the crown back down after setting the watch. The operation guide states that screw-crown models aren’t water resistant while the crown is loosened.

Choose the exact Duro, not only the family name

The MDV106 family includes other dial, bezel and band combinations. A listing for a bracelet model or a regional MDV107 isn’t automatically the same purchase as this black MDV106-1A, so match the full model number and the pictured configuration before you compare prices.

Price: $67.88
Where to buy: Amazon

Get the model right and the Duro is an easy recommendation: a 200-meter quartz watch with a working timing bezel, a screw-lock crown and a battery that lasts about three years, for well under $100.

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