Casio in Tiffany Blue Is a Style Upgrade Hack

While watch brands like Tissot and even much more expensive timepieces from Patek Philippe and Rolex have made their marks via the still sought-after and fabled “Tiffany Blue” dialed watches, which come at price points from different galaxies, this dirt-cheap darling from Casio should be on your radar.

The Casio MTP-B145D-2A1V—and yes, it is a very catchy name—brings a retro flair based on watch silhouettes from the 1980s and comes in Tiffany blue-like dial at a steal of a price.

In the Philippines, the timepiece may be kind of harder to find in stock due to the niche hype it has been getting online, but if you do see one for its suggested retail price of P4,420, it should be a no-brainer purchase for you.

For the price, you are getting a stainless steel bracelet and a shape that is a dead ringer for much more expensive pieces, such as the Rolex Datejust or the beloved Tissot PRX, which also come in the ultra-popular Tiffany Blue dial configurations.

But as discerning online Internet watch sleuths have determined, Casio has been offering this exact model since 2018, predating the 2021 Tissot PRX revival, so we can’t really call this piece a straight-up clone.

The PRX, which has attained cult status in the watch-collecting community and is a great starter watch overall, was a revival of sleek steel bracelet dress watches from the 1970s and appropriately now comes in a Tiffany dial variation.

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Now back to the Casio, the sleek design, however, comes in a paper-thin case of 7.5 mm, but won’t really cause any issues since it is a very compact watch if you can look past the rather flimsy bracelet.

At a weight of just 82 grams, it won’t be the most robust option you can slap on your wrist, but who are we kidding? We are really just all about the beautiful dial and sleek design.

For the slimmer-wristed gentlemen, this is a dream to wear with a small 40 x 35 mm x 7.4 mm case size and the 150 to 205 mm band size.

A closer look at the main attraction of the watch, the dial’s take on the Tiffany colorway, involves a bright sunburst finish that keeps a minimalist approach.

This type of finish also does a commendable job in its sporty and sleek presentation, with a dial that catches light for a head-turner of a watch.

It is also equipped with a typical mineral crystal for decent scratch protection and minimal anti-reflective material. Moving down to the bracelet, getting a decent fit may be tricky since it only involves a push-button clasp that leaves no room for micro-adjustments.

This might be a nitpick, though, since the bracelet links are rather small, but we would have liked to see a more traditional clasp that did not require finicky workarounds.

And as expected of watches at this price point and the astounding slimness of this piece, you are getting a basic battery-operated quartz movement from Miyota, like many of the other Casio digital watches.

We should also consider that this watch predates the Japanese watch juggernaut’s first automatic watch, the Edifice EFK, which also has yet to have an official retail price for the Philippine market.

With the stellar release of Casio’s first automatic timepiece in August this year, a free idea for the Japanese watchmaker is to refresh its PRX-like watch with an automatic movement and more robust construction.

It looks like Casio hit it out of the park with the EFK series, which also featured a silhouette approaching the Tissot PRX’s territory.

This isn’t the watchmaker’s first crack at a Tiffany-blue watch, as the Casio MTP-1302PD previously went viral and became highly sought after. The criticism of this piece, however, was that despite it looking like a Rolex Datejust with the iconic green-blue dial, it felt incredibly cheap.

What’s the Buzz With Tiffany Blue?

The now iconic Tiffany shade of blue can be traced to legendary American jeweler Tiffany & Co. 's 1845 mail catalogue “Blue Book,” which used this particular shade of blue that has become synonymous with the jeweller.

Tiffany & Co. had trademarked the Pantone number 1837 color in 1998, which is still used on the jeweller’s products to this day—a genius marketing move.

The excitement and anticipation of those who are lucky enough to get gifted Tiffany accessories often escalates when they see that iconic blue color on the box alone. So how did this color end up in the world of watches?

Undoubtedly, Tiffany Blue gained notoriety through the highly coveted and extremely exclusive Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711.

A close-up on the Patek Philippe 5711 Nautilus with the coveted Tiffany dial

The watch's display back with the special 170-year inscription

The timepiece commemorated 170 years of partnership between the pioneer Swiss watchmaker and Tiffany & Co., the first piece in stainless steel fashioned with a Tiffany Blue dial. The watch’s sapphire-crystal case back is also stamped with the inscription “170th Anniversary 1851-2021 Tiffany & Co. - Patek Philippe.”

In 2021, via auction house Phillips and a collaboration with Bacs & Russo, the watch was sold at an insane price of P327 million, including the buyer’s premium. Patek had discontinued its Nautilus made in steel in 2021

The money used to buy the watch went to the Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s highly regarded global environmental organizations.

Previously, Phillips sold a 1953 Patek world time worth $7.819 million ( worth about P373.27 million in 2021), a sales record at the time.

There were only 170 of these ultra-rare watches, which were reserved for the highest echelons of high society and influence.

Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. have been working together since 1851, when both luxury accessory brands inked a deal that made the American jeweller the first official retail partner for their timepieces in the US market.

Rolex had also partnered with the jeweller with its Rolex Datejust 41 Oyster Perpetual in that fabled hue, which goes for much more than the base Datejust model.

On the more affordable side, though not officially partnered with the jeweller, the now cult-like Tissot PRX also comes in a green-blue Tiffany-style dial, which is usually sold out at a price point of nearly P50,000.

So if you can find the Casio piece in stock at your local Casio dealer, maybe you should seriously consider jumping on the hype train of this fabled dial hue.