The Casio Twincept ABX68B-7AV (For Men) isn’t a pure analogue watch; neither it is a digital one; nor is it a conventional ana-digi watch. It relies on an innovative technology called Twincept (Twin Concept) to get you the best of the 2 worlds in a single attractive package.
For the uninitiated, let me explain what it’s all about. In case you haven’t seen one before, it may be a bit difficult to visualize the same. On the face of it, the ABX68B-7AV looks very much like your average quartz analogue watch (with no second hand). Press the mode button on the side of the watch and hey presto! the digital data like telephone numbers, world time information, dual time and day/date floats above the analogue face. It’s rather mesmerizing at the first glance.
The concept behind this is surprising very simple. There is basically a transparent LCD element in-between the dial and the protection glass. I’m sure other watch manufacturers must have been wondering, ’’Why didn’t we think of that earlier?’’
I guess that should suffice for the background information on the Twincept Technology. Let us concentrate our efforts solely on the ABX68B-7AV now, shall we?
The ABX68B-7AV is a rather imposing watch and this means ensure you have a large wrist to slip it on. It might look very heavy, because of it’s size and the stainless steel strap, but it’s surprising light owing to a body made out of tough plastics. The mode button toggles between the phonebook (50 entries), the scheduler (50 entries), the world time clock (along with an atlas with blinking time zones) and the alarm/analogue adjustment mode. The buttons on the right are meant for inputting characters and toggling between day-date and the dual time mode.
So much for technospeak, let’s take a reality check, how viable is the ABX68B-7AV, which retails at Rs. 3000+? Well for one, this is a novel watch, but what’s impressive is that it manages to retain its novelty in terms of pure functionality. Inputting entries by cycling through individual characters into the watch is tiresome and you might end up with a sore thumb. The memory capacity and features also does not measure up to today’s organisers and PDA’s. You can inputs 50 telemomo OR schedule entries or a combination of both. Keep in mind however that this is an organiser you will not forget to carry with you since it’s a timepiece you strap on at the same time. Important events like cell phone recharge dates and your girlfriends’ birthdays (forgetting them can have serious repercussions) can be recollected thanks to the schedule alarm which is pretty much audible. The world time feature is a boon for globetrotters and people making PC-phone calls on the net. The EL backlight is so powerful that when used in pitch darkness, it illuminates objects as far as 5 ft away. That’s pretty handy when it’s comes to searching for your pack of cigarettes in the dead of night, without waking up your sleeping spouse/family. It uses Two SR927W cells that last upto 2 years depending upon usage.
On the flip side, the ABX68B-7AV is a large watch and you simply cannot button up your sleeves while it’s strapped on. In case you scratch the mineral glass, a replacement will be expensive. It’s a bit tacky to be used as a formal watch and simply lacks the slim elegance of regular premium analogue watches.
The Verdict: The ABX68B-7AV is a good watch, but it cannot adorn your wrist on all occasions. It’s a great watch for casual wear and especially if you are a traveler and/or need to remember phone numbers and events on the go. I guess the price, albeit a bit steep is sort of justified when you compare the features/functionality. Casio is renowned for making affordable, reliable watches that give their Swiss counterparts a run for their money and the ABX68B-7AV is no exception.