- Casio recently unveiled a cross between a watch and a smart ring
- It’s now officially launching outside Japan in other countries
- US pricing will be $120 / £105 (around AU$185)
Earlier in November, watchmaker Casio announced that it would be launching a clever ring that’s designed to look like one of its classic timepieces, all to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. At first it seemed like the device would be limited to Japan, but Casio has now revealed that it will actually go on sale around the world.
The product, dubbed the CRW001-1, is a ring designed to look like a miniature Casio GMW-B5000 watch. It comes with a rounded design and link-style strap, complete with a digital clockface.
It can’t measure your body’s metrics and it’s hardly going to compete with any of the best smartwatches, but it can tell the time in two locations, set alarms, run a stopwatch, and it also comes with a small built-in LED light. As well as that, Casio says it’s “waterproof for daily use.”
The CRW001-1 has now gone on sale on Casio’s US website for $120, while you can get one for £105 in the UK. When the CRW001-1 originally appeared on Casio’s Japanese website, it was priced at 19,800 yen. Pre-orders aren’t yet open, but Casio says it’s expected to land in December.
Not the first ring watch
The CRW001-1 only comes in one size – the equivalent of US ring size 10.5 – but you can get additional spacers to help it fit on smaller fingers. It’s made from stainless steel, and that helps it tip the scales at a relatively hefty 16 grams – significantly more than the 3-gram Samsung Galaxy Ring.
Casio’s CRW001-1 is not the first ring to mimic a digital watch. Last month, rival firm Timex launched the T80, a watch-ring hybrid that can tell the time (although it lacks some of the CRW001-1’s functionality). Before that, Casio brought out a series of watch-shaped rings in 2023, although these were merely ornamental and could not tell the time.
If you’re interested in the CRW001-1, keep an eye on Casio’s website for the full release date. It may not match the best smart rings for features, but it could be a fun little collectible timepiece regardless.