# Casio Edifice EF527D-1AV review (and link to video review)



## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

Hi this is a review of the Casio Edifice EF527D-1AV watch.

Main features of this watch are a quartz movement, slide rule bezel, 12-hour chronograph, and screw down crown and case back.





Video review:







*Case of the watch*


The case is made from polished stainless steel.
Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 11 mm
Weight: around 150 gr with two links removed.


*Bezel*




The bezel on this Edifice is fixed, but it does have an internal rotating bezel/reflector. The reflector and outer edge of the dial have the slide rule scale.
The slide rule is basically a scale based on logarithms, so you can do basic division and multiplication as well as time/distance calculations and such.


My most common use is for quick currency conversions
The internal bezel or reflector is rotated be using the turning knob at the 8 o clock position. The turning action is very smooth, and easy to adjust the slide rule. On the negative side the turning action is much to easy for my preference, and if you like having the slide rule perfectly lined up when not in use, this is not the watch for you.



*Dial*




Here you can see the dial of the edifice. The dial it self is black and is quite busy like most slide rule watches.
As mentioned before, the scales on the dial that run along the edge of the dial are used for slide rule functions.
The large red second hand is a part of the chronograph and is therefore stationary unless you engage the chronograph.


The top sub dial is the minute marker for the chronograph


The 9 o'clock sub dial is hour indicator for the chronograph, and counts up to 12 hours, a nice feature for an inexpensive analog quartz watch, since they often only have 30 minute or 1 hour chronographs.


The sub dial at the six o'clock position has a double function, it acts as the normal seconds counter for the time keeping of the watch, since the large second hand is only used for the chronograph. When you use the chronograph the 6 o'clock sub dial stops counting seconds and becomes a 1/20th of a second indicator, and it runs constantly for the first 30 seconds, and becomes stationary after that, but jumps into the right place when stopping the chronograph.


As you can see there are actually two time scales on the sub dial, the seconds on the outer scale and 1/20[SUP]th[/SUP] of a second on the inner scale.



*Lume:*


The lume of the watch hands is not bad at all, and can actually be readable for a few hours after a good exposure to light, the lume of the hour markers lasts shorter, and is a bit weak. Definitely not the worst I have seen, probably about average or a little bit better than average.
The hands on the sub dials are not lumed.


*Chronograph:*




Top button to start and stop, the lower button to reset the watch, but there are no lap functions.

After resetting the chronograph, the time keeping second hand will be stopped and ready for use in the chronograph. Simply push the lower button again to let the it resume its second hand function, or just leave it stopped, it wont affect the time, keeping of the watch





*Crystal*


The crystal on the watch is a flat mineral crystal, and is flush with the bezel of the watch.


*Case back*


Screw down case back, with the Casio edifice logo, the module (movement) number and other information.


*Crown*


Screw down, signed crown between 5 and 6 mm, not the best grip but well usable.


*Bracelet*






Stainless steel bracelet
Brushed and polished surfaces
Push pin design, and folding clasp with a safety.
No divers extension.
22 mm at the lugs but tapers down to around 20 mm near the clasp
End links are hollow.


*Alternative straps*







I think that there is nothing wrong with the bracelet of the watch, and its basically pretty nice. However I think that due to the very busy dial of the watch that the watch actually looks better on a black leather strap or Isofrane than a stainless steel bracelet.

*Conclusion:*

This Edifice is a relatively inexpensive watch featuring a slide rule bezel, 12 hour chronograph, and screw down crown with water resistance of 100 meters. The watch looks surprisingly good, especially on a black strap.
The watch has been keeping good time, and runs 10-15 seconds fast per month (typical quartz accuracy). The slide rule has minor inaccuracies but is still well usable, and the hands are aligned well to the markers on the dial.


*The review is finished, but below is some information regarding a slide rule bezel if readers are interested.*

I use the slide rule is mostly for a crude currency converter.

Say you want to convert between euros and US$.

Right now one euro is close to 1.3 US$, or in other terms one euro is worth 1 dollar and thirty cents.
You would line the 13 with the 10, the 10 representing our euro and the 13 representing our US$

This also means that 1 euro is 1,3 US$, 100 euros are 130 US$ and so on.

Now you can glance at a number on the inner scale (euro) and look at the number on the outer scale to see the conversion to US$

You have to keep track of the zeros, so if you are converting from 230 euros and look at the 23 on the inner scale, you can see that the outer scale reads somewhere around 30 but obviously 230 euros are not 30 $, but closer to 300.








*Below are a few sources for information about how to use slide rule bezels, enjoy.*

Seiko instructions for use of a slide rule.
http://www.seikowatches.com/support/ib/pdf/rt01_e.pdf

A nice article on a blog to read
How To Use A Watch Bezel Slide Rule

And a couple of videos from youtube on the use of slide rule bezels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-XxsXp5TEQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4PIvtA0UI


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## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

Here is another thread I did showing off some different straps on this Casio watch.
https://www.watchuseek.com/f222/new-watch-simple-strap-change-757087.html

Comments/questions welcome.

Bryn


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello postur,

It was indeed a great review of this watch. I don't have very deep knowledge of watches. I just have a question regarding the slide rule bezel. I came across this link: Seiko SNA411 vs Casio Edifice EF527D-1AV 
My question is in case of SNA411 the bezel is more busy as compared casio edifice, so is casio edifice able to perform all kind of slide rule bezel calculations that SNA411 can do? Or does the SNA411 has a different kind of bezel?
I look forward for your reply.
Regards,
P


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## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

Thanks, and thanks for the comment.

The basic slide rule bezels are the same and can be used to calculate the same things.
(remember that these are analog calculations, so they are never 100 % accurate)

The Seiko also has a navigation/compass indicators on the bezel, making it more busy, and that feature is not related to the slide rule functions. (you can see the SE-S-SW-NW on the outer edge of the bezel) 

On the dial the Seiko also has a tachymeter function, to be used with the chronograph, also not a part of the slide rule (used to calculate speed or units per hour). The slide rule can also be used to calculate speed or units per hour if needed).

The indicators on the slide rule bezel for conversions (stat, Liters, naut, kg) are basically just for quick reference, and do not change the nature of the slide rule in any way.

As long as you know the conversion ratio between the things you want to convert, you would not even need any of those reference indicators. (they are nice to have for us that dont use the conversions every day).

I think there are a couple of more pre-marked conversions on the Seiko bezel than the casio bezel.


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

Thank you for your reply! As you mentioned that SNa411 has a tachymeter too. Is there a way to perform tachymeter calculation with this casio watch too even though no tachymeter is provided? Maybe this question is stupid.
I look forward for your reply!
Regards,
P


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## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

Dont worry, not a stupid question at all.

The function of the tachymeter is basically dividing 3600 (the seconds in one hour) with the elapsed seconds.

By starting the stopwatch when your printer starts printing a photo image, and stop the stopwatch when the printer completes one page (in our example 30 seconds) the user of a tachymeter watch could read the tachymeter where the second hand stops to see the number 120 on the scale.
This means that the printer can print 120 such color images in one hour.

What is happening there is that the tachymeter is a scale, that divides 3600 (the seconds in one hour) with the elapsed time (30 seconds)
3600/30=120

Same can be used if you know that the distance between two buildings is 1 km, and you time a car that drives between the buildings, and find that it takes the car 45 seconds to drive that 1 km. 
If you read the tachymeter at the 45 second position it would show the number 80.
(the car could therefore drive 80 such 1 km distances in one hour, or 80 km/hour average)

The limitation of tachymeter scales on 99% of watches is that if the event you are timing takes more than 60 seconds, you cant use the scale.

----

If you don't have a tachymeter, you can still time an event using the chronograph (stopwatch) and lets say that that event takes 30 seconds.

On the slide rule watch you would align 36 on the outer ring (to represent 3600) with 30 on the inner ring (to represent 30 seconds), and then find the number 10 on the inner ruler and the number on the outer ring is the reading from the (3600/30) = 12 or 120 when you add the zeros.

Yes, it is a lot more complicated at first, but if its something you need or want to do often, it will become simple, and actually more accurate than most tachymeter scales.

Im sorry if these explanations sound like they are written in some alien language, but its something that is a bit difficult to explain on the run.
I found trial and error to be the best teacher.


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello,
Thank you again for wonderful explanation and devoting time to write such a detailed reply! 
If I have any more questions I shall surely contact you.
Thanks & Regards,
P


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello again,
I am planning to buy this watch. My budget is 150€. Can you recommend me some other watch that has same features like this watch? Just wanted to know other options too.
Thank you and regards,
P


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## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

There are a few watches in the Casio Edifice line, that share similar features.

There is also the Citizen Nighthawk, a little bit more expensive, and without the chronograph, but supports two time zones
You can see a good review on the Nighthawk by Worn and wound here
Citizen Nighthawk Review.mp4 - YouTube

Seiko has a few watches with slide rule bezels and chronographs, like you mention above.
and SNDA31, and SNAB67, SSC009, SND253,

Orient usually also has comparable watches in the price range, although I don't remember the model names.

Good luck
Bryn


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

postur said:


> There are a few watches in the Casio Edifice line, that share similar features.
> 
> There is also the Citizen Nighthawk, a little bit more expensive, and without the chronograph, but supports two time zones
> You can see a good review on the Nighthawk by Worn and wound here
> ...


Thanks


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello,
Here is the black edition of this watch. Casio Edifice - EF527BK-1AV Mens, Analog, Wrist, Watch
But it is much expensive than silver steel version?. Casio Edifice - EF527D-1AV Mens, Analog, Wrist, Watch
The features are same. Is this due to black color? Does this type of coating stays for a long time or fades soon? Any idea?
Thanks you and regards,
P


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## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

The only difference between them is the color, any black coating on a watch will eventually start fading on certain areas. Also deep scratches, can show the stainless steel under the coating, and therefore be quite obvious. 

As for the durability of the black coating of this watch, I don't have any experience with it, sorry.


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

postur said:


> The only difference between them is the color, any black coating on a watch will eventually start fading on certain areas. Also deep scratches, can show the stainless steel under the coating, and therefore be quite obvious.
> 
> As for the durability of the black coating of this watch, I don't have any experience with it, sorry.


Thanks


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello Postur,

Today I bought this watch. It is really a good watch. I liked it. Thanks for making a review of it. It helped me a lot.
I have one question maybe a wrong one. 
Isn't there a way that the second hand keeps moving like in an ordinary watch without running the chronograph in parallel?
For eg: Initially second hand and all sub dial hands are at rest. If I press the top button the sub dial at bottom starts also the second hands moves. after 30 seconds the bottom dial stops but second hand keeps moving and top sub dial hand starts counting the minutes....
If I press below button then all hands reset to initial zero position. 
When shall the second hand move in an ordinary way like it does in any ordinary watches?

Regards,
P


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## postur (Nov 6, 2011)

prabhjot said:


> Hello Postur,
> 
> Today I bought this watch. It is really a good watch. I liked it. Thanks for making a review of it. It helped me a lot.
> I have one question maybe a wrong one.
> ...


First of all, when you use the chronograph the bottom dial (1/20th of a second) runs for 30 seconds as you stated, but then stops moving. It is actually still timing, and as soon as you stop the chronograph it jumps into the position where it would have been if it had kept moving.

If you press the bottom push button the chronograph is reset, and if you press the botton button again, the hand in the sub dial at 6 oclock will start moving again (more slowly than when using the chronograph)
.....this is the actual second hand for the watch it self (you can see that the 6 oclock subdial has two levels the inner markings are for the 1/20th of a second, and the outer markings are 0-60 seconds.

The large second hand on the watch is only used with the chronograph, similar to very many chronograph watches.


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## prabhjot (Dec 18, 2012)

postur said:


> First of all, when you use the chronograph the bottom dial (1/20th of a second) runs for 30 seconds as you stated, but then stops moving. It is actually still timing, and as soon as you stop the chronograph it jumps into the position where it would have been if it had kept moving.
> 
> If you press the bottom push button the chronograph is reset, and if you press the botton button again, the hand in the sub dial at 6 oclock will start moving again (more slowly than when using the chronograph)
> .....this is the actual second hand for the watch it self (you can see that the 6 oclock subdial has two levels the inner markings are for the 1/20th of a second, and the outer markings are 0-60 seconds.
> ...


Thanks, I understood now.


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## Squeezealexio (Mar 26, 2014)

awesome review ive had this watch for almsot 3 years now flawless service would recommend it to anybody im about to try it on some nato straps to change up the look a bit


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