Models: CASIO Vintage x Liberty AQ-230ELT-7A, AQ-230EBLT-1A
Price: S$160, S$185
Release date: Available now
Where to buy: CASIO
The CASIO Vintage x Liberty collaboration, a meeting of two very different kinds of heritage that somehow share the same pulse. On one side, the AQ-230: a cult-favourite analogue-digital timepiece with an angular rectangular case and dual display, all sharp lines and retro-futurist charm.
On the other, Liberty: the historic London design house famed for its original textiles and intricate prints, a name that has wrapped generations in pattern and colour. Together, they turn the AQ-230 into a slim wrist-sized canvas, where timekeeping runs through Liberty’s tapestry of paisley.
The collaboration centres on Liberty’s Paisley Fanfare, a flowing, botanical-inspired paisley that drapes the watch in motion even when it is perfectly still. The pattern wraps the band and dial in laser-engraved detail.
The strict geometry of the AQ-230 case counters those soft, swirling lines, creating a quiet tension between straight edge and flourish that feels at once vintage and modern, archival yet oddly current. It is a piece that could have stepped out of a London print room in the ‘70s or off a contemporary styling board this morning.
Liberty’s presence is not loud, but it is inscribed everywhere. The Liberty logo is engraved on the clasp and case back, subtle hallmarks that reward the glance of someone in the know and underline the watch’s special-edition status.
Even the packaging has been pulled into the story: each timepiece arrives in exclusive boxes dressed in the same Paisley Fanfare motif, so unboxing feels less like opening a product and more like unfolding a pattern archive.
CASIO and Liberty offer the collaboration in two colourways, each with its own personality. The AQ-230ELT-7A pairs a silver case with a matching silver band, the laser-engraved paisley catching the light with a dressy, almost jewellery-like sheen that moves easily from office hours to late dinners.
On the other end of the spectrum, the AQ-230EBLT-1A leans into a moodier register, contrasting a gunmetal grey case with a black band so the intricate pattern reads more graphic and street-ready. Both are conceived as unisex pieces, designed to sit as naturally with tailoring and loafers as they do with denim and sneakers.
Underneath the Liberty treatment, the watch is still very much a CASIO AQ-230 at heart. You get an analogue-digital display in a compact rectangular case, stainless steel band etched with Paisley Fanfare on both band and dial, water resistance for everyday wear and an approximate battery life of three years running reliable quartz timekeeping.
Daily alarm, hourly time signal, stopwatch and calendar functions all work quietly in the background, as dependable and unfussy as ever. It is that balance of function and flourish – alarms and hour signals on one side, engraved florals on the other – that makes the collaboration feel balanced.
Both the CASIO Vintage x Liberty AQ-230ELT-7A and AQ-230EBLT-1A are available now at G-SHOCK stores in Singapore (Takashimaya, ION, Jewel, Bugis, Vivocity, Northpoint and JEM), the official CASIO website and authorised CASIO retailers.