I’m the final individual on earth who wants one other watch. As The Verge’s resident wearables reviewer, I’m at all times double-wristing the newest smartwatches. I’m additionally the final one that wants one other ring after spending a whole summer wearing six of them like a high-tech mafia spouse. However I by no means mentioned I had good sense, so I’ve spent the previous couple of weeks sporting the $120 Casio CRW001-1 — or maybe extra aptly named, the Casio Ring Watch.
There is no such thing as a pretense right here. It is a tiny Casio watch that sits in your finger. Casio made it to celebrate its 50th anniversary and to money in in your retro design nostalgia for the halcyon age of our collective youth. It harkens again to the vintage watch rings of the ’80s and ’90s, which you will discover on Etsy for $10. This specific one simply occurs to be absolutely purposeful.
Unboxing it, my first thought as an inexpensive individual is that nobody ought to purchase this. For starters, it’s at present unavailable on Casio’s web site and goes for upward of $300 on eBay. (Such is the destiny of limited-edition gadgety baubles.) In an age when eggs price $5 a carton — $7, if you happen to dwell in my neck of the woods — your cash could be spent on extra sensible issues, particularly because you in all probability already personal a dozen devices that may additionally let you know the time.
To not point out, this ring watch solely is available in a single 10.5 dimension. In case your fingers are smaller, you’ll want one in every of two included spacers to make it match. In case your fingers are larger, sorry. No enjoyable for you. Apart from, how sensible may one thing like this be? By no means thoughts that it has a stopwatch, an alarm, and twin timezone options. You’d in all probability by no means use any of them, as a result of what are these, buttons for ants?
These had been my mature, accountable grownup ideas earlier than slipping on the ring. Sadly, the second it was on my finger, I morphed into the hhhehehe lizard.
It simply seems cool. The Casio Ring Watch is the type of dweeby stylish that jogs my memory of childhood: earlier than puberty and the consuming want to slot in, when sporting Disney princess tiaras and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles watches was legitimately cool. You’d put on your nerd gear to the playground, and a random child who appreciated the identical stuff would abruptly turn out to be your finest good friend.
Prior to now few weeks, the Casio Ring Watch has felt like a sleeker, extra refined model of that, as pals, colleagues, and strangers alike cease me in my tracks to ask about it. I’ve obtained extra compliments on this lil’ doodad than my wedding ceremony ring. I bumped into a star make-up artist for a Grammy Award-winning diva and cultural icon at a piece occasion. They had been the kind of individual with impeccable threads, somebody you see and suppose, “Wow, God actually does have favorites. What’s it wish to have such a robust sense of non-public fashion?!” Properly, that individual pointed at this ring watch, requested me what it was, and complimented my fashion. Me, a schlubby pajama gremlin who lives in coffee-stained sweatshirts and leggings! Maybe they had been simply being well mannered, however the expertise left me peacocking for the remainder of the day.
You can argue that perhaps that’s the purpose. At its core, it is a piece of knickknack. Jewellery is usually purposeful, positive, however I’d guess you don’t love your favourite non-smart watch or ring as a result of it’s sensible. You’re keen on the best way it makes you’re feeling about your self, the reminiscences it evokes, and the irrational pleasure it sparks each time you gaze upon it.
If that’s all of the Casio Ring Watch was, I’d nonetheless adore it. However as foolish as it’d sound, I’ve discovered it surprisingly sensible to have a tiny watch on my finger.
Working example, it’s impolite to look at your watch or cellphone throughout a dialog. It’s a lot simpler to fake to be deep in thought, look down at your ring, and discreetly grok the time that manner. The opposite day, I used to be bundled in a winter parka with sleeves so lengthy and tight that I couldn’t have a look at both of my smartwatches. I may, nonetheless, peek at my hand and make sure that the craptacular NJ Transit app was a dirty liar and my bus was a number of minutes late. Greater than as soon as, I’ve been engrossed in a draft, glanced down at my arms typing on the keyboard, and realized that I used to be about to be late for a gathering.
It’s not excellent. Sometimes, I look down and it’s on the unsuitable mode. Thanks, sausage fingers. I can’t, for the lifetime of me, bear in mind the best way to begin the stopwatch, regardless that I’ve learn the handbook a number of occasions. Setting the time is tedious. These buttons are so tiny, they’re annoying to make use of, and so they’ve despatched a number of press-on nails flying. The backlight is so faint, it’s ineffective at midnight and in direct daylight. Even so, I smile each time I have a look at this factor.
Technically, I’ve dozens of smartwatches and sensible rings which might be far more spectacular. They do all the things from telling the time to alerting you when your well being takes a nosedive. As I discussed, I’ve by no means truly wanted a hoop watch. I’ve no motive to have one, aside from I prefer it. And but, each morning, this foolish little gizmo is what I stay up for sporting most.