Casio Hotbiz DB-2000

Yesterday, I wore a Casio watch from 1995, and today is another - but with a completely different style.

Today's watch is the DB-2000 Hotbiz Menory Protect 200. The watch is one of the high tech Casio Data Bank models, but unlike earlier models, this had ditched the touchscreen, and ended up with an unusual input method. The watch is controlled by a small directional thumb pad style input with an enter key. To select a mode, you press enter and use the direction pad to choose the option, followed by enter to select it.

There are 8 options on the watch, and 4 of these are different categories for the data bank (business, private, personal and play), with the private one having a password for access. The other 4 options are the watch display modes and are time, alarm (x5), timer, and stopwatch.

Inside is a 1495 module, but there are some with a 1498 module instead (which seem to be more common). It is a high tech module which includes a sensor to tell whether the back is open. This opening sensor requires 2 small springs but if either of them are missing the watch won't work (but you can join the connections with a staple as I found out to get this one working). Power is provided from a CR2016 battery.

The LCD is square with 3 lines of info and 2 lines of modes below. The 3 LCD lines are a dot matrix along the top (for day and year), a 6 digit time display on the bottom, and a smaller 7 digit line in the middle (normally showing the date).

The Hotbiz line was a collection of business watches, but there isn't any information about what the definition of the line was. I'd guess that it was Casio's line for fashionable (hot) business (biz) watches, but that is just my thinking. The Hotbiz name is shown on the face, the back, and on the stainless steel strap (with the part number S-589L).

The Memory Protect name is part of the data bank functions and means that the data bank is protected in a way such that the information is kept even if the battery runs flat.

Casio DB-37H Multilingual Data Bank

Casio has made many different models of their Data Bank range of watches. Today's model is another of those, and one which seems they sold for very little money compared to what it does.

This model is a DB-37H (or DB37H), and is one of the Multilingual Data Bank models. It runs with a 2524 module and manages to get 10 years of life put of its CR2025 battery. Although this model first came out in the early 2000s, it still seems to be available today. Looking online, it is quoted as having a list price of around $25 which seems pretty cheap for what it does.

As this is a multilingual model, it can display in 13 languages (Eng, Por, Esp, Fra, Ned, Dan, Deu, Ita, Sve, Pol, Rom, Tur, Pyc), and the language choice suggests a world or european market model. The data bank mode is a 30 slot telememo, and it also has 5 alarms, a countdown timer, stopwatch, and dual time functions. Light it provided by a green LED behind the bottom corner of the display.

All the buttons for this watch are on the front, with 3 below the LCD display, and two more lower down on the case. The LCD display can show a lot of digits, with three lines of display. The middle and bottom line can show 7 and 8 digits respectively, and the top line is a dot matrix array.

This model has a Casio metal strap which has the part number S-928L. The case itself is plastic with a steel back plate, and the watch is 50m/5 bar water resistant.

Casio DB-V30 Easy Rec - Sampling Mania blue edition

I have many Casio Data Bank models, but this one caught my eye (or maybe ear) due to its special feature.

This model is the Casio DB-V30 Easy Rec, and you can tell it's a little different as soon as you hear the beep as it has the crackle of a speaker rather than the normal crisp beep. This is because this model has a built in speaker and microphone, with the speaker sound coming from holes in the back, and the microphone being visible on the front (at the bottom right). The Easy Rec has the ability to record and play back voice memos up to a length of 30 seconds. These memos can also be used as the alarm sound if you want a personalised wake-up message. Memo recording and playback is controlled by two buttons on the front below the display.

It uses a 1590 module with a 3 line LCD display. The time (6 digits) is along the bottom, and date above (using 4 of the possible 6 digits). The top line is dot matrix array which is designed for 6 characters. Above that there is also a small set of indicator dots for how much of the 30 second memo is used. Other modes are data bank, timer and stopwatch (on top of the aforementioned alarm and voice memo).

This particular model is a special Sampling Mania edition. These models came in different colours than the normal, and had patterned straps. This one has the words Sampling Mania written in gothic script on one half of the strap, blue flames on the other half, and the text 30 seconds on the strap connector. The backlight also holds a picture, this time of what looks like a Celtic cross.

The DB-V30 was originally launched in around 1995, but new ones still can be found for sale. I don't know when this special edition was released.

Casio Multilingual Data Bank DB-360 Sierra Leone 2005 Entry Visa edition

Today is another mysterious watch. Actually, the watch itself is pretty normal, but it has been printed to commemorate an event that I can't find.

The watch is by Casio and is the DB-360. It is one of the high spec Casio Data Bank models, with many of the Casio features: Casio Illuminator, Multilingual Data Bank, and 10 year battery. It works in 13 languages which all appear European. The module inside is a 2515, and this gives it a 30 slot data bank, 5 alarms, stopwatch, timer, and dual time.

The display is an LCD panel with 3 lines. The time is in large digits (about half the total height) across the middle with the full date in tiny digits along the bottom. At the top is a dot matrix array which shows the day on the current mode.

I've featured a normal version of this model in a previous post. However, this model is a special edition marked with Sierra Leone 2005 Entry Visa on the back, along with the phrase "Capturing the moment. That's what life all about.". This is printed on the back over the normal engraved text making it look like an after fabrication mod to the standard watch. The strap is covered with a flowery pattern etched into the surface, and the top of the face has the number 232 marked into it (which is the same across all of the watches, not the limited edition number as I'd first thought). As far as I can tell, there were only events of note regarding entry visas and Sierra Leone the country in 2005, and there is just mention that this was the year that the UN peacekeeping force pulled out. The other option is that it is related to the Kanye West song Diamonds from Sierra Leone which was released in July 2005. This seems a more likely basis, but the entry visa text is still a mystery (and neither that or the phrase on the back are part of the lyrics).

Casio Data Bank Telememo 50 - DB-520

Over the years, Casio has produced many watches with the Data Bank function, and it seems that I have quite a few!

Today's watch is the Casio DB-520 which came out in the mid 80s (the calendar starts in 1985) and uses a 675 module. This is quite strange as I've seen other references for the DB-520 which has a 262 module and is from 1983!

The watch has the usual features packed into the module, having a 50 slot memo option, schedule input (sharing the 50 slots), world time, alarm, stopwatch, and timer.

It uses a 3 line LCD display, with the top line being a dot matrix arrangement. The bottom line shows the time (6 digits), and the middle line is the date. In time mode, the top line shows year and date, but in the other modes, it states which mode the watch is in.

The case is a silver coated plastic with a steel strap (part number B-859N) which is good at removing hair if you have hairy arms!