The Late Show couch. It’s a place to flex and flash your latest fashion accessories, plug your cool new Hollywood endeavors, and win the hearts of the American public as they feast on the lives of the rich and famous. This week, Bill and Melinda Gates made their way onto the Late Show with Stephen Colbert to discuss their latest charitable efforts, a perceived decline in their riches, and the latest topics surrounding taxation of the American public.
On Bill’s wrist, we caught a glance of a watch that seems to be making the rounds with one of our favorite billionaires – the Casio Duro Marlin MDV106-1A. After the recent wave of ridiculous Hollywood wristwatch circlejerking, it was fun to see a wealthy guy – with pockets deep enough to buy a Swiss luxury watch brand if he wanted to – rock a sub-$100 dive watch that has grown in popularity among our readership.
The Casio Duro Marlin MDV106-1A is one of the most straightforward, easy-to-love quartz divers I’ve ever experienced. I wouldn’t usually write a segment like this but after the most recent celebrity watch spotting stories, I just had to sit back and admire how cool it was to see the watch on such a high-profile stage.
Gates is a master at rocking the late ’90s Seattle tech dad look and I gotta say – I’m loving the Casio Duro Marlin with that light lavender sweater. All told, this watch can easily be had for under $50 and I think it’s a perfect choice for a grab and go diver you can beat around.
The Casio Duro Marlin MDV106-1A* is currently available on Amazon for under $45 and you can learn more about it by visiting Casio’s official site.
Photo (Top): Bill Gates/CBS
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.
I agree. It actually Tells you a glimpse of his true self. To me it tells me he doesn’t need a rolex but instead he chooses to wear a staple and dependable piece. With his known charity work, (I’m sure they partake in numerous activities that the public has no knowledge of) I personally think he would sell a Rolex in a heartbeat if it meant it help a cause.
I love Bill and Melinda ,ask him if he would wear the pateka O. Casio is a Fantastic Watch
Great article. It’s often said that the SKX007 (or some variant) belongs in every watch collection. And I agree. But I think the one watch that comes before the SKX and should be in every TBWS’s watch collection is the Duro. It’s a little on the larger size, case-wise, but has a reasonable lug-to-lug length and height which makes it more wearable. Plus, it’s a good looking watch and that marlin graphic (which is also etched on the caseback) is cool. The touch of red on the seconds hand is a nice pop of color. And it’s an absolute strap monster that, for me, belongs on a NATO. It’s a great pool, sun, surf, beach, ski, snow, vacation, beater, and grab anytime watch. I’ve had one for some time. If it were to get lost or destroyed today, I would order another one immediately on Amazon. It’s probably the best $45 you can spend on your horological hobby. And, believe it or not, a sapphire replacement crystal is available if you are feeling the mod itch. Finally, unlike many other quartz watches, the seconds hand lines up pretty well with the indices as it moves around the dial. I’ve seen more expensive quartz watches that don’t achieve this level of accuracy. Sure, there are some downsides…that crown is on the smaller side and the lume is nothing to write home about. But those are pretty small cons. As for Silicon Valley titans rocking very inexpensive timepieces, I recall that Steve Jobs used to wear a Seiko quartz back in the day.
Pure gold Michael: “After the recent wave of ridiculous Hollywood wristwatch circlejerking…” Those types of watch spotting pieces always gave me a chuckle. Yours was honest and funny. Thanks for the read.
Agree, I own and love that watch. It is very accurate.
Plenty of well celebs and corporate heads know how to market their image to appeal to the common man. Choosing an inexpensive watch to hook a viewer is simply a part of wardrobe selection, much the same as the color of tie or which spouse to have on one’s arm this season. It’s very much a game of power, and they exercise that power by pretending to be no different in some respects.
I appreciate the Dalai Lama’s more honest approach wearing a Rolex – he’s a fan – even if I’m not. As for Gates fans, their are fewer than expected, considering his medical experimentation thru vaccinations which have resulted in lawsuits. His vision of our future is as honest as saying the Casio is a “dive” watch – after searching for months I have yet to find it conforms to the ISO certification. If a WR rating was all that is needed then why do organizations and governments require the better designation?
What is really being said is that Casio is making a cheap copy of the Submariner and isn’t it cute? So does Invicta, running an actual automatic watch works sourced from Seiko divers, yet Casio is praised for it’s limitless lack of refinement, Invicta is excoriated by the watch community as a brand they would like to see out of business.
Human rationalizations are an continuing source of wonder.