I spent a good 10+ years hunting for my perfect travel watch. I was hung up on getting a mechanical watch, but also wanted it to solve the IST problem, which is 30 minutes off the standard timezones. It was an impossible task, especially with price also being a factor. I’ve had several Apple Watches, but having one more thing to change daily was something I didn’t like, and especially didn’t want while traveling.<p>Eventually I came to the realization that I was looking at it all wrong. With a 10 year battery, I can change it when I renew my passport, and anytime in between I can grab and go. Being cheap means I don’t have to be precious with it, nor does it make me a target. If it breaks, oh well, I’ll pick up another one. The time zone function is more flexible than an analog watch, it solves the IST problem, and also solves the issue of DST differing by country (a problem I didn’t know about when I got it, but have since run into). Every time I wear it I smile, as I’m reminded of the long road to get to such a simple place, and how it ticks all the boxes, once I woke up to realize what I actually needed vs what I thought I wanted. It really took a shift in mindset.<p>One big thing I didn’t like was the ugly text on the case. I already bought it and know what it is, I don’t need a sales pitch on my wrist. Thankfully, an eraser is able to take it right off. It takes a few minutes, but does the job and makes it look much better. Some videos will say to use chemicals, but they aren’t needed (and are likely bad for the finish).<p>There are sites that sell solid metal brackets and metal cases (to replace the plastic case and hollow links it comes with). I thought about going down this road, but if I did that, the watch then becomes precious and goes from a $30 watch to a $200 watch, with effort put into the swap. I’d be much more upset if something happened, so I decided against it and am happy about it. The last thing I want on a trip is to worry for even a moment about what’s on my wrist.<p>I have about a dozen or so watches. I’m seriously considering scaling back to just 2 that will fulfill all my needs, and this Casio is one of the two.