WATCH GUIDE
Casio Duro: Everything You Need to Know (MDV-106 Specs, Straps, Comparisons)
What the Casio Duro MDV-106 is, why it has such a reputation, its full specs, the straps that fit it and every Duro comparison on this site.
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Short answer: the Casio Duro (model MDV-106) is a quartz dive watch with a 44mm stainless steel case, 200m (20 ATM) water resistance, a screw-down crown and caseback, a unidirectional bezel and a date, running Casio quartz module 2784 on a battery Casio rates at about 3 years. It sells in the $50 to $100 band on Amazon, which makes it the least expensive watch in our database rated to 200m. Real dive-watch hardware at that price is the whole reason for its reputation. It comes in several colours; the two in our database are the blue MDV-106B, the version this site recommends, best on a 22mm Archer silicone strap in Midnight Blue, and the original black MDV106-1AV.
Related: Blue Casio Duro MDV-106B · Black Casio Duro MDV106 · Best watches under $100 · Best watches under $200
📋 Where these facts come from
Every spec on this page is copied from our spec sheets for the blue MDV-106B and the black MDV106-1AV, which also feed both Duro watch pages. The blue MDV-106B uses the same case, movement, crystal and water rating as the black MDV106, as Casio documents for the shared case. Prices are shown as bands because Amazon prices change daily. We do not test watches; this page summarises published specifications.
Pick 1 of 2
Recommended: Blue MDV-106B
Casio
Duro MDV-106B Blue
$50–$100
MSRP
Why We Picked It
The blue MDV-106B is the Duro this site recommends: the same 44mm steel case, screw-down crown and caseback, unidirectional bezel and 200m rating as the original, with a blue dial and a matching bezel insert. On a 22mm Archer silicone strap in Midnight Blue, the dial, bezel and strap read as one colour.
Strengths
- ✓200m (20 ATM) water resistance, screw-down crown and caseback
- ✓Unidirectional bezel and date
- ✓Casio quartz module 2784, about a 3-year battery
- ✓Blue dial with a matching bezel insert
Trade-offs
- —Mineral glass, not sapphire
- —44mm case wears large on small wrists
- —Stock resin strap is not quick-release
Pick 2 of 2
The Original: Black MDV106
Casio
Duro MDV106 Black
$50–$100
MSRP
Why We Picked It
The black MDV106-1AV is the original Duro and the cheaper of the two when we last checked. High-contrast and plain, it is the version to choose if you want the watch to look like a tool.
Strengths
- ✓200m (20 ATM) water resistance, screw-down crown and caseback
- ✓Unidirectional bezel and date
- ✓Casio quartz module 2784, about a 3-year battery
- ✓High-contrast black dial
Trade-offs
- —Mineral glass, not sapphire
- —44mm case wears large on small wrists
- —Stock resin strap is not quick-release
What the Duro is, and why people buy it
A dive watch is defined by its hardware: a 200m water rating, a screw-down crown that seals the case, and a bezel that turns one way only, so a knock can only make it show more elapsed dive time, never less. Most watches with that hardware cost several hundred dollars. The Duro has all three in a stainless steel case for under $100, and it runs on quartz, which keeps better time than an automatic and needs only a battery every few years. The compromises are the ones you would expect at the price: a mineral glass crystal that scratches more easily than sapphire, a 44mm case that wears large on small wrists, a basic resin strap that is not quick-release, and lume that is modest next to dedicated dive watches. Blue or black? They are the same watch: the same 44mm steel case, the same module 2784 and the same 200m rating. The black MDV106-1AV is the original and was the cheaper of the two when we last checked; the blue MDV-106B has a blue dial with a matching bezel insert and is the one this site recommends for everyday wear. Other versions sold under the MDV-106 name include a green bezel, black with blue accents, a blue and red bezel, gold accents (MDV-106G) and two models on a steel bracelet (MDV-106DD).
Casio Duro specs
From our spec sheets for both versions. Case: 44mm stainless steel. Movement: Casio quartz module 2784. Battery: about 3 years. Crystal: mineral glass. Water resistance: 200m (20 ATM), diver. Features: date, unidirectional bezel, screw-down crown and caseback. Maker: Casio (Japan). References: MDV106-1AV (black dial) and MDV-106B (blue dial). Price: $50 to $100 band on Amazon.
Straps for the Casio Duro
The Duro has 22mm lugs, so any 22mm strap fits. The stock resin strap is held by ordinary spring bars, so taking it off the first time needs a spring-bar tool; after that, quick-release straps swap by hand. These are the straps already recommended on our two Duro pages.
- Archer silicone strap, 22mm, Midnight Blue on Amazon →The recommended pairing for the blue Duro: a shade darker than the dial, quick-release
- Archer silicone strap, 22mm, black on Amazon →For the black Duro, quick-release
- BINLUN blue leather strap, 22mm, butterfly deployant on Amazon →A dressier option for the blue Duro
- Archer nylon strap, 22mm, navy and white on Amazon →A summer option, quick-release
- WOCCI spring bar tool on Amazon →For removing the stock resin strap the first time
Casio Duro comparisons
Head-to-head pages that include the Duro. The Citizen Skyhawk page is our hand-written comparison; the brand pages compare Casio with Invicta and Bulova; the rest compare the Duro (black MDV106) spec by spec with the watches people most often weigh it against.
- Casio Duro vs Citizen SkyhawkOur hand-written comparison: the same 200m rating at very different prices
- Invicta vs CasioBrand comparison: Duro against the Invicta Pro Diver
- Bulova vs CasioBrand comparison: Duro against the Bulova Devil Diver
- Casio Duro vs Tissot Seastar 1000Budget quartz diver against a Swiss automatic diver
- Casio Duro vs Timex Expedition ScoutTwo cheap everyday watches: a 200 m diver against a classic field watch.
- Casio Duro vs Seiko AlpinistDiver against an automatic adventure watch
- Casio Duro vs Invicta Pro DiverQuartz against a Seiko NH35 automatic
- Casio Duro vs Orient Mako 40What sapphire and an automatic cost
- Casio Duro vs Seiko 5 SportsQuartz diver against the 4R36 automatic
- Casio Duro vs Seiko Prospex TurtleTwo 200m divers, quartz against automatic
- Casio Duro vs Seiko Prospex SamuraiBudget diver against a Prospex automatic
- Casio Duro vs Citizen Promaster SeaBattery against Eco-Drive solar
- Casio Duro vs G-Shock CasiOakSteel diver against solar G-Shock
- Casio Duro vs G-Shock DW-5600Steel diver against the square G-Shock
- Casio Duro vs Casio MTP-S120LBattery diver against solar field watch
- Casio Duro vs Citizen GarrisonDiver against Eco-Drive field watch
- Bulova Devil Diver vs Casio DuroAutomatic sapphire diver against the Duro
- Casio Duro vs Bulova Lunar PilotDiver against a high-frequency chronograph
Frequently Asked Questions
The Casio Duro (MDV-106) is an inexpensive quartz dive watch: a 44mm stainless steel case rated to 200m, with a screw-down crown and caseback, a unidirectional bezel and a date, on Casio quartz module 2784. It sells in the $50 to $100 band.
On paper, yes: it is rated to 200m (20 ATM) and has the hardware a dive watch needs, a screw-down crown and caseback and a unidirectional bezel. As with any dive watch, the rating assumes the crown is fully screwed down and the seals are in good condition.
The colour. The MDV106-1AV has a black dial and bezel; the MDV-106B has a blue dial with a matching bezel insert. The case, movement, crystal and 200m rating are the same.
44mm wide, in stainless steel, with 22mm lugs. It wears large on small wrists; the 40mm Invicta Pro Diver and the 37mm Citizen Garrison are smaller alternatives.
Casio rates it at about 3 years. Any watch shop can replace it; ask them to check the seals and screw the crown and caseback down properly so the 200m rating holds.
No. It uses mineral glass, which scratches more easily than sapphire. The least expensive dive watch with sapphire in our database is the Orient Mako 40 (200m, automatic).
Any 22mm strap. The stock resin strap uses ordinary spring bars, so the first change needs a spring-bar tool; a quick-release strap such as the Archer silicone swaps by hand after that.
No, it runs on a battery. If you want a solar dive watch, the Citizen Promaster Sea Eco-Drive Diver is rated to 200m under ISO 6425; for a cheaper solar watch, the Casio MTP-S120L is rated to 100m.
Choose the Duro for quartz accuracy and less upkeep; choose the Invicta Pro Diver for a Seiko NH35 automatic and a smaller 40mm case. Both are rated to 200m and both are in the $50 to $100 band.
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