I spent decades avoiding digital watches like the plague only to fall for the dirt-cheap and techno-chic Casio AE1200 “Casio Royale.” Of course, it wasn’t long before I accumulated a small collection and started modding them with aftermarket cases and straps. I know some of you are wondering why I would put $150 in parts into a $15 watch, and yes, when you put it like that it sounds pretty crazy, but I don’t care. It is easy, fun, and the results are absolutely worth it. My latest attempt to level up this humble watch brought me to the $99 SKXMod Casio AE1200 case in polished stainless steel.
As you may have gathered from the name, SKXMod has a variety of Seiko parts on hand, but they have also branched out into bits to customize your Casio AE1200/1300, Casioak, and Apple Watch as well. I found them while staring at one of my remaining plastic-bodied Casios that was sitting next to my Kranio bronze and blasted steel mods, and realizing that I had lost all desire to wear it. The founders are active on the Custom Casios Club Facebook page, and the parts appeared to be of quality.
SKXMod offers AE1200/1300 steel cases in matte silver or black with a hardened (980hv) IP coating, or rose or yellow gold (no hardening). Matching bracelets are available too, as are a variety of straps. They also offer the option of mixing and matching cases and bezels, and for the truly DIY dis-inclined, fully assembled watches. All of it was pretty tempting, but I decided to do the swap myself and forgo the bracelet this time. Once I saw the fully polished case I figured if I was going to give these folks a shot, I should go with something entirely unlike anything else in my collection.
I compared the SKXMod case to the factory plastic and to a Kranio Designs unit. As you can see in the stack, the SKXMod is closer to the original (top) than the more angular Kranio (bottom). Whereas the Kranio is sterile, the SKXMod replicates the dummy screw recesses of the Casio as well as the “World Time” and “Illuminator” script. You won’t be rubbing those words off as they are engraved, and a clean, deep engraving at that. I went for the stealth look, but you can order them painted or even lume-filled.
SKXMod ships the case in a tidy little box that contains almost everything you need: tools, gaskets, screws, and of course, your case of choice. You supply the caseback and module The buttons and sapphire crystal are already fitted. It is all well protected, but you will want to clean that crystal before you get started and break out some watchmaker’s putty, like Bergeon Rodico, to get any dust or lint. I was pleased to see the inside of the case was cleanly finished.
Assembly was a breeze (I covered AE1200 disassembly/reassembly here). The SKXMod Casio AE1200 case accepted the Casio faceplate, module, and caseback without issue. I was sure to use the SKXMod gasket and screws. The gasket appeared to be identical to that of the Casio, but why risk water intrusion? The screws, on the other hand, are much shorter than the Casio’s and have a different thread, so you would be wise not to mix them up.
Of course, I had to give my newly refreshed World Timer a new strap. As I told you in Part 2, Vario makes the best ones I’ve found for these watches. I chose this one because the dark blue leather against the bright silver case reminded me of the 1995 Pininfarina Argento Vivo concept car. What can I say? Some things just stick in your head.
And that is that. I have taken yet another dirt cheap watch and vastly improved it with simple and inexpensive upgrades. The whole process took about 15 minutes. I still have two more AE1200s in their original plastic cases, and I doubt they will stay that way for much longer. The steel case feels vastly superior, and as I’ve already scratched the plastic lenses on my factory Casios, the sapphire crystal is a welcome improvement. I’m now eyeing the hardened black SKXMod case, and I hear they are going to release one in bronze soon.
If you’ve got the Casio modding bug, SKXMod is an excellent place to start. Head over to SKXMod.com and start planning your own AE1200/1300 creation.
