Casio marked its 50th anniversary of digital watchmaking with one of its most unexpected creations – the CRW-001 Ring Watch. It’s a tiny digital watch shrunk down to fit on your finger, made entirely from stainless steel with an intricate texture that mirrors the brand’s traditional watch bands. Despite its playful look, it’s a fully functioning timepiece that manages to pack in a surprising number of features.
The case measures just over 25 millimeters across and weighs only 16 grams. Inside is a miniature module that’s been reduced to a fraction of the size of a normal Casio digital watch. It runs on a small replaceable battery with about two years of life. The display is a 6-digit LCD that shows hours, minutes, seconds, and even offers dual time zones, a stopwatch, and an auto-calendar. There’s no alarm sound – instead, a tiny flash of light signals the set time, adding a quirky charm.
It’s sized as a standard US ring size 10.5 but comes with spacers to fit slightly smaller fingers. The design is water‑resistant and built with a sealed glass adhesive structure that keeps dust and splashes out, while still allowing the battery to be replaced when needed.
The concept isn’t just random. It’s a tribute to Casio’s earliest invention in the 1940s – a yubiwa-pipe ring, a small ring that allowed people to hold cigarettes hands‑free. That early success funded the calculators that eventually led to Casio’s watchmaking legacy. So, the CRW-001 is both a nod to the past and a celebration of half a century of innovation.
Reactions to the ring watch have been mixed but fascinated. Many see it as a fun, conversation‑starting piece rather than a daily driver. It’s nostalgic, silly, and completely impractical in the best way. For a modest price, it captures the essence of Casio – clever engineering wrapped in a playful design that challenges the usual expectations of what a watch should be. And don’t forget to chck the most expensive Casio watch ever.
