I am the last person on earth who needs another watch. As The Verge’s resident wearables reviewer, I’m always double-wristing the latest smartwatches. I am also the last person who needs another ring after spending a whole summer wearing six of them like a high-tech mafia wife. But I never said I had good sense, so I’ve spent the last few weeks wearing the $120 Casio CRW001-1 — or perhaps more aptly named, the Casio Ring Watch.
There is no pretense here. This is a tiny Casio watch that sits on your finger. Casio made it to celebrate its 50th anniversary and to cash in on your retro design nostalgia for the halcyon age of our collective youth. It harkens back to the vintage watch rings of the ’80s and ’90s, which you can find on Etsy for $10. This particular one just happens to be fully functional.
Unboxing it, my first thought as a reasonable person is that no one should buy this. For starters, it’s currently unavailable on Casio’s site and is going for upward of $300 on eBay. (Such is the fate of limited-edition gadgety baubles.) In an age when eggs cost $5 a carton — $7, if you live in my neck of the woods — your money can be spent on more practical things, especially since you probably already own a dozen gadgets that can also tell you the time.
Not to mention, this ring watch only comes in a single 10.5 size. If your fingers are smaller, you’ll need one of two included spacers to make it fit. If your fingers are bigger, sorry. No fun for you. Besides, how practical could something like this be? Never mind that it has a stopwatch, an alarm, and dual timezone features. You’d probably never use any of them, because what are these, buttons for ants?
These were my mature, responsible adult thoughts before slipping on the ring. Unfortunately, the second it was on my finger, I morphed into the hhhehehe lizard.
It just looks cool. The Casio Ring Watch is the sort of dweeby chic that reminds me of childhood: before puberty and the consuming need to fit in, when wearing Disney princess tiaras and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles watches was legitimately cool. You’d wear your nerd gear to the playground, and a random kid who liked the same stuff would suddenly become your best friend.
In the past few weeks, the Casio Ring Watch has felt like a sleeker, more refined version of that, as friends, colleagues, and strangers alike stop me in my tracks to ask about it. I’ve received more compliments on this lil’ doodad than my wedding ring. I ran into a celebrity makeup artist for a Grammy Award-winning diva and cultural icon at a work event. They were the type of person with impeccable threads, someone you see and think, “Wow, God really does have favorites. What’s it like to have such a strong sense of personal style?!” Well, that person pointed at this ring watch, asked me what it was, and complimented my style. Me, a schlubby pajama gremlin who lives in coffee-stained sweatshirts and leggings! Perhaps they were just being polite, but the experience left me peacocking for the rest of the day.
You could argue that maybe that’s the point. At its core, this is a piece of jewelry. Jewelry is often functional, sure, but I’d bet you don’t love your favorite non-smart watch or ring because it’s practical. You love the way it makes you feel about yourself, the memories it evokes, and the irrational joy it sparks every time you gaze upon it.
If that’s all the Casio Ring Watch was, I’d still love it. But as silly as it might sound, I’ve found it surprisingly practical to have a tiny watch on my finger.
Case in point, it’s rude to glance at your watch or phone during a conversation. It’s much easier to pretend to be deep in thought, look down at your ring, and discreetly grok the time that way. The other day, I was bundled in a winter parka with sleeves so long and tight that I couldn’t look at either of my smartwatches. I could, however, peek at my hand and confirm that the craptacular NJ Transit app was a dirty liar and my bus was several minutes late. More than once, I’ve been engrossed in a draft, glanced down at my hands typing on the keyboard, and realized that I was about to be late for a meeting.
It’s not perfect. Occasionally, I look down and it’s on the wrong mode. Thanks, sausage fingers. I can’t, for the life of me, remember how to start the stopwatch, even though I’ve read the manual several times. Setting the time is tedious. These buttons are so tiny, they’re annoying to use, and they’ve sent several press-on nails flying. The backlight is so faint, it’s useless in the dark and in direct sunlight. Even so, I smile every time I look at this thing.
Technically, I have dozens of smartwatches and smart rings that are much more impressive. They do everything from telling the time to alerting you when your health takes a nosedive. As I mentioned, I’ve never actually needed a ring watch. I’ve no reason to have one, other than I like it. And yet, every morning, this silly little gizmo is what I look forward to wearing most.
