Casio DW-401 ‘Sky Walker’ – Restoration

One day, while scrolling through Vinted, I came across a listing for a Casio DW-401. I kept an eye on it for a long time, and nobody bought it. I wanted it for my 4 Dollar Watch Flipping Project, so I waited. When the project budget finally grew big enough, I bought it. ⌚

I knew what I was getting. The photos clearly showed one broken lug, plus some scratches on the caseback and the crystal. The lug was the reason I bought it. A broken lug scares most buyers away, but for me it was a challenge I wanted to take on.

The DW-401 is better known among collectors as the “Sky Walker”, and it is a much-wanted model. Its brother, the DW-4000, was worn by Jean-Claude Van Damme himself in Timecop. A watch built for a time-travelling action hero should survive almost anything. This one survived, minus one lug. 😅

What Did the Watch Look Like When It Arrived?

When the parcel arrived, the Casio DW-401 looked exactly as I expected from the photos. One lug was missing, completely snapped off, and the caseback and the mineral crystal both had their share of scratches. Typical signs of a watch that lived an active life. 😄

The bezel also did not rotate. I found out the reason only later, once I took it off, but more on that in Step 2.

Then came the good news. The module was in perfect condition, and the gasket was too. No leaks, no corrosion, nothing to replace inside. That meant I could focus fully on the outside: the lug, the crystal, and the case. 🛠️

Casio DW-401 ‘Sky Walker’ – Restoration Process

Step 1: Rebuilding the Broken Lug

I started with the biggest problem, the lug. It was snapped off completely, so there was nothing left to glue back. I had to build a new one from scratch.

For this, I used my go-to method: baking soda and super glue. I show the whole technique in my YouTube tutorial here: 👉 youtu.be/n6cEeGtVQAg

This was the largest piece of lug I have ever rebuilt. I added the material layer by layer, slowly building up the shape until there was enough to work with. After that, I sanded it down with flat files, getting the planes and the profile to match the original lug on the other side. 🔧

Finally, I painted the new lug with black nail polish so it blends in with the rest of the case.

Step 2: Freeing the Stuck Bezel

Next, I removed the bezel to get to the crystal, and here I found the reason it would not rotate. The edge of the crystal was slightly chipped, and under the bezel those chips had crumbled into fine white dust. The dust packed the whole bezel and locked it in place.

I cleaned out all the white dust. As a bonus, with the bezel off, the crystal was fully exposed. That made the next step much easier, because I could polish it flat in one plane.

Step 3: Sanding and Polishing the Mineral Crystal

The DW-401 has a mineral crystal, and mineral glass is much harder to work on than acrylic. A quick polish with paste does nothing to deep scratches here. For this job, I used a very good guide I had found some time ago and saved for exactly this kind of situation: a thread on r/casiovintage about polishing a deeply scratched mineral glass. I ordered Polywatch Mineral Glass and followed the instructions step by step.

Then came the long, slow sanding. I held the watch crystal-down and slid it over the sandpaper, keeping it flat in one plane the whole time. I started very low at 340 grit and worked up through 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 and 5000. The low starting grit was necessary. The glass is hard and the scratches were deep, so without it I could never have removed them.

After that, the Polywatch Mineral Glass paste went on. First I polished with the repair paste, and then I finished with the finish paste. The work was tedious, but the result was stunning for mineral glass. 💎

Step 4: Cleaning the Case and Servicing the Pushers

With the crystal done, I moved on to the case. I removed the pushers and cleaned the case, including all the small corners where dirt likes to hide. After that, I lubricated the pusher gaskets and polished the pushers with metal polish.

Step 5: Refinishing the Case and Caseback

Next, I removed the scratches from the case and the caseback with sandpaper.

On the caseback, I brought back its original one-direction brushed finish using an abrasive non-woven pad. On the case, I finished sanding at around 2000 grit, then restored the matte look with the non-woven pad, and finally went over it with a white magic eraser. The case came out with an even, clean matte finish. 👍

Step 6: Reassembly and a New Strap

Finally, I put everything back together. For the strap, I chose a Casio CA-53 strap, and it looks perfect on this watch. The original DW-401 strap is hard to find and very expensive, so this was the sensible choice.

The Result

The Casio DW-401 ‘Sky Walker’ is back in shape. ⌚ The rebuilt lug holds the strap again and blends in with the case. The mineral crystal is clear after the long sanding session and the Polywatch treatment, and with the white dust gone, the bezel rotates again. The case has its even matte finish back, the caseback shows its one-direction brushing, and the polished pushers add a nice small detail.

Looking back, this one started as a Vinted listing I watched for a long time, a broken watch nobody wanted. Now it is a proper Sky Walker again, ready for the next chapter of my flipping project. 😄

Want Your Vintage Casio Restored?

This Casio DW-401 ‘Sky Walker’ is one example of the restorations I do. I restore vintage Casio watches for collectors and enthusiasts around the world, everything from straightforward cleanups to more complex repairs like rebuilding a completely broken lug or polishing deep scratches out of a mineral crystal.

You can see more of my previous projects here: 👉 casiorestore.com/projects-restorations

I work mainly with collectors across Europe and shipping is not a problem. I have already completed restorations for collectors from the UK, Scotland, Sweden, Ireland, Spain, France, and more. That said, sometimes logistics from outside Europe can be worked out too, it just takes a bit of creativity. 😄 Every project is discussed individually, so we always agree on the scope and price before starting. 🛠️

The process is simple:

• Write to me on Instagram: @vintage.casio.restore
• Or send me an email: vintagecasiorestore@gmail.com
• Describe the problem with your watch, send clear photos, and tell me your country.