Casio Ring Is A Functional Watch Honoring Its Classic Pieces—And Smoking Pipes
Image courtesy of Casio Singapore
Casio has wrapped the concept of wearable tech around its finger with the launch of the CRW-001, the company’s first ring-style digital watch. This tiny yet bold new offering shrinks the familiar digital watch into a compact, stylish ring that actually works.
The CRW-001 owes its inspiration to the yubiwa pipe, a finger-ring device developed by Kashio Seisakujo, the company that would eventually become Casio Computer Co., Ltd. In post-war Japan, the yubiwa pipe proved immensely popular, providing a hands-free way to smoke cigarettes down to the last puff. The profits from this invention later helped fund the creation of Casio’s first calculators.
Image courtesy of Casio Singapore
The yubiwa pipe. Image courtesy of Casio Singapore
Creating a watch that fits on your finger required a significant downsizing of Casio’s standard watch module. The technology behind the CRW-001 features optimized high-density mounting, reducing the module’s size by a factor of 10. Meanwhile, the full-metal body is crafted using metal injection molding (MIM), a specialized process that allows for precise, intricate designs. The case, case back, and ring are seamlessly molded as a single piece, preserving the distinctive dimpled texture found in traditional Casio watches. Despite its small size, the ring watch is water-resistant, thanks to an innovative glass adhesive technique that ensures a tight seal.
Image courtesy of Casio Singapore
The CRW-001 touts a minimalist three-button design, providing access to its range of functions. The six-digit digital LCD displays the time, calendar, dual time, and stopwatch capabilities.
Image courtesy of Casio Singapore
For an extra touch of charm, the watch emits a soft, pulsing glow on the hour and at preset intervals, evoking what Casio calls “the twinkling of time.” With an inner diameter of 20 mm and a circumference of 62.8 mm, the ring fits a size 22 finger (US 10.5, EU U). For smaller fingers, the package includes two spacers to adjust the fit.
[via Casio Singapore, images courtesy]
