Casio FT-100W – Restoration

The Casio FT-100W is one of those fun and unusual models from the 1990s. It was part of Casio’s Fishing Timer series, made to show the best fishing times based on moon phases. A mix of outdoors tool and digital watch, it is a great example of Casio’s experimental side.

I picked up this FT-100W for a good price, but it arrived with many problems. The lug was broken, one plastic piece was missing, and the LCD had no polarizing film, so the display could not be read. On top of that, the screen showed LCD bleeding, and the acrylic crystal was scratched.

Even with all these issues, I wanted to save it. The fishing timer and moon phase feature are not only nostalgic but also fun to use today. Restoring it felt like bringing back a small piece of Casio history.

What was the condition of the watch at the start?

When the Casio FT-100W arrived, it had several big issues:

• Broken lug – the strap could not be attached.
• Missing lower plastic piece – part of the case was incomplete.
• No polarizing film on the LCD – the screen looked blank and unreadable.
• LCD bleeding – dark patches were visible on the display.
• Scratched acrylic crystal – the front was cloudy and full of marks.

At first sight, the watch looked more like a spare-parts piece than something to wear. But since the module was still alive, I decided it was worth the effort to bring it back.

How did the restoration process go?

Step 1: LCD replacement

The watch arrived without a polarizing film on the display. At first I thought this would be an easy fix, so I installed a new film from eBay. The screen became readable, but then I saw another problem – the LCD had bleeding. Parts of the digits were dark and damaged, which meant the module could not be used like this.

To solve it, I ordered a new LCD unit. After swapping it in, the display worked perfectly. All functions, including the moon phase and fishing timer, were back in action.

Step 2: Repairing the case

The broken lug and the missing plastic piece made the case incomplete. I repaired it using the baking soda + super glue method. When the repair hardened, I shaped it with a file tool, then sanded it smooth. I painted it black with nail polish and finally gave it a matte finish with fine sandpaper. The repair blended nicely with the rest of the case.

Step 3: Polishing the crystal

The acrylic crystal had many scratches. I sanded it through different grits until the surface was even, then polished it with paste. After this step, the screen was clear again, and the new LCD looked sharp behind it.

Step 4: Strap replacement

The watch arrived without a usable strap. Finding original straps for Casio FT-100W is not easy, and often they are very expensive. Luckily, I managed to find a dedicated strap for this model at a fair price. With the new strap installed, the watch finally felt complete again.

The result of the restoration

After the full restoration, the Casio FT-100W is finally complete again. The new LCD works perfectly, the crystal is clear, and the case repairs are solid. The watch looks sharp on the wrist, and with the dedicated strap installed, it feels original and comfortable to wear.

The moon phase and fishing timer functions are now fully visible and working. These features are pure 90s Casio — unusual, fun, and a little bit quirky. For me, that is the charm of this watch.

I was very happy with the final result. This project started with a broken, unreadable watch, but step by step it came back to life. Now it is ready for daily use, and it is also a great conversation piece for any vintage Casio fan. 👍⌚

👉 What do you think? Do you own any of the Fishing Timer or Moon Graph Casios? Would you actually use the fishing function, or just enjoy it as a cool retro detail?