Casio Lineage LCW M170D: the closest thing to a perfect everyday watch
The Casio Lineage LCW M170D 1A is the closest thing to a perfect everyday watch
For more than two decades I have hunted for the “perfect” watch.
I am still not sure a truly perfect watch exists, but the Casio Lineage LCW M170D 1A is as close as I have found so far. There is one catch. The model I recommend t is a Japanese domestic market model, so it is only sold in Japan, but it is easy to get in the United States if you know where to look.
Check current price and availability:
Casio Lineage LCW-M170TD-7AJF - This is the white dial variant. I prefer the black dial version, which is harder to find, and I will explain how to track it down below.
Who this watch is for
My needs are simple and non negotiable:
It must be extremely accurate and require almost no maintenance.
It must show both day and date.
I must be able to read it in the dark on demand, but not have it glowing all the time.
It must track a second time zone for travel.
It must be light, thin, and wear small on the wrist.
It must handle everyday water exposure without drama.
It must look good in most situations without attracting unwanted attention.
If that list sounds like you, the Casio LCW-M170D is worth a serious look.
Accuracy without headaches
A watch that cannot tell accurate time is a bracelet.
Most mechanical watches, even good ones, gain or lose several seconds per day. A COSC certified chronometer, such as a high end Rolex, still runs somewhere around minus 4 to plus 6 seconds per day. Over a month that can mean the watch is off by a few minutes. That level of accuracy also depends on regular servicing and can be affected by magnets from airport security and other sources.
Standard quartz watches do better, usually around 15 seconds per month, but they rely on a battery. In practice that means:
The battery dies at the worst possible time.
It is a hassle to replace while traveling.
Opening the case for a battery swap can compromise water resistance if done poorly.
The Casio Lineage M170D solves all of this.
It receives a daily signal from six atomic clock transmitters in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and China.
Those signals travel up to 1,860 miles. When the watch picks one up, it syncs its time to the atomic standard.
As long as it receives a signal periodically, it stays accurate to within one second every 100 million years, which is effectively perfect accuracy.
If it misses the signal, it still runs at plus or minus 15 seconds per month until the next sync.
On top of that, the watch is solar powered. You can take it off for days or weeks, pick it up again, and the time will still be correct. There is no need for a watch winder, no battery swapping, and no manual winding.
Day and date, plus useful extras
I travel often and it is easy to lose track of what day it is, especially important in countries where many businesses close on specific days. Sundays in much of Europe, Fridays in many Muslim countries, and so on. I want the day and date on my wrist where I can easily reference it.
The M170D is an analog digital hybrid. It has hour, minute, and second hands, plus a small LCD screen that you can configure to show:
Local time (hours and minutes)
Day of the week and date
Local time seconds
World time (second time zone)
Power level
Timer
Stopwatch
Five alarms
In practice I mostly use the day / date and world time, but it is nice to have the rest.
Readable in the dark, without glowing all the time
Most watches rely on luminescent paint (“lume”) to stay readable in low light. Lume glows after exposure to light, but it has two problems:
You cannot turn it off, so your watch face glows when you might not want it to, such as walking down a dark street or sitting in a theater.
Even the best lume fades and becomes hard to read after a few hours.
The M170D takes a better approach. It has a built in light that illuminates the dial and display for about 1.5 seconds when you press a button. You get instant readability in the dark and complete stealth when you want the watch invisible.
For travel, overnight flights, and early morning time checks this is ideal.
Second time zone for travel
When I travel I set the analog hands to local time.
Then I set the world time function on the LCD screen to my home time. At a glance I can see:
What time it is where I am
What time it is at home, which is where my body still thinks it lives
This makes scheduling calls, checking in with family, and planning sleep much easier.
The watch also has an hourly chime option, a single short beep at the top of each hour. It is subtle, but useful for keeping mental track of time in longer meetings or travel days without constantly checking your wrist.
Size, comfort, and water resistance
The Casio M170D is a medium sized watch:
Diameter: 39.5 millimeters
Thickness: 9.2 millimeters
Lug to lug: 46.4 millimeters
Weight: around 122 grams on the bracelet
I prefer smaller, vintage sized watches and rarely wear anything over 40 millimeters. The M170D wears well on my wrist. It is thin enough to slip under a shirt cuff and light enough that I often forget it is there.
Water resistance is the weakest part of the package. Casio rates it to 5 bar, or 50 meters. Casio describes this as suitable for:
Sinks, rain, and everyday splashes
Swimming and general water activities
Not suitable for snorkeling or diving
Casio is known for conservative water ratings, so the watch would likely tolerate a greater water depth than the spec sheet suggests. I spend a lot of time in and around water and would personally prefer a 100 meter rating, but for most people 50 meters is enough.
Looks that work almost anywhere
From a pure design perspective this is not my favorite watch in the world, but it looks good enough in a wide range of environments.
I have worn it with:
Casual clothes
Smart casual
Business casual
Business dress
It is not perfect in every single setting, but it never feels wrong. I appreciate the versatility.
I also like that it does not stand out. It is not ostentatious, it does not scream a luxury brand name, and it does not look like something worth mugging someone for. It has all the functionality of a Casio G Shock, but in a cleaner, more traditional package.
The analog dial also makes it easier to check the time discreetly in meetings. A quick glance at the position of the minute hand tells you how much time has passed. That is harder to do with a purely digital display.
Power you never have to think about
As mentioned earlier, the M170D is solar powered.
Daily wear keeps the battery topped up without any effort. On a full charge it will run for more than four months in complete darkness. There is no need to:
Worry about the battery dying
Schedule battery replacements
Open the case and risk water resistance
You put it on, it will charge as you wear it, and you never have to think about power.
The bracelet and better strap options
The weakest part of the watch is the stock bracelet. It works, but it feels cheap for an otherwise excellent watch.
The good news is that the Lineage uses standard 20 millimeter lugs, which is the sweet spot. There are many strap options and the size looks balanced on the case.
I removed the stock bracelet and usually wear the watch on:
A black silicone strap for daily wear
A leather strap with a deployment clasp when I want a slightly dressier look
A olive stretch loop band for a lower profile and comfortable fit (especially nice when typing on a laptop)
A simple strap upgrade makes the watch feel much more comfortable on the wrist.
Strap recommendations
Barton Elite silicone watch bandGetalia leather retro oil wax watch band with foldover clasp
How to buy the Casio Lineage LCW M170D in the United States
The Casio Lineage LCW-M170D-1A (black-dial variant) is a Japanese domestic market model, so it is not sold through normal U.S. retail channels.
The easiest way to buy one is through sellers in Japan who list them on platforms such as eBay. They purchase the watch in Japan and ship it overseas. In my experience:
Total cost is usually under 200 dollars.
Shipping time is often about a week, sometimes a little more.
Check current listings
Current eBay listings
How Casio could make it perfect
Casio will probably never read this, but in case they do, here is how to turn this into a truly perfect watch.
In short, keep the heart of the M170D and place it in a diver style case with higher water resistance.
I would keep:
The black dial and black negative LCD screen
The simple stick indices, ideally a little less shiny
The current hour and minute hands
The red tipped second hand
The flat sapphire crystal
I would change:
The lume to a more subdued, vintage style tone
The dial text to only “Casio Lineage” and nothing else
Then I would place the movement, dial, and screen into a brushed stainless steel diver case:
Diameter: 38 to 39 millimeters, with a short lug to lug length
Bi directional black bezel, with minute marks for the first 20 minutes, then only the 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 minute markers
Water resistance of at least 100 meters
Case thickness under 10 millimeters
That package would be about as close to a perfect watch as I can imagine.
Casio, if you want to talk about it, call me.
