- Casio is reportedly planning to launch CRW-002, a second version of its popular CRW-001 ring
- The first-generation ring, although something of a novelty, instantly sold out
- Casio's retro pull is strong, as its step-tracking F-B100W 'smart' watch is also very popular
Casio's CRW-001 gadget, the catchy name for its retro digital watch ring, sells like absolute hotcakes. Since its December 2024 debut, periodic restocks of the niche little watch-ring hybrid continue to sell out. We're not sure whether this can technically be classed as one of the best smart rings, but this weird little gadget certainly has its devotees.
Now, a new version is apparently on the horizon, according to a report by Russian website Casioblog, spotted and translated by Notebookcheck.
Dubbed, sensibly, CRW-002, the new smart ring is based on Casio's iconic metal A168 watch series. It's said to be available in steel and gold, and will sport some of the same text as sported on the original A168 watch, with phrases like 'Chronograh', 'Illuminator' and 'Water Resist'.
The band of the ring is also a replica of the strap, injection-molded, according to the images posted by Notebookcheck. Features reportedly include "dual time, a 60-minute stopwatch, an LED backlight, a calendar, 12- and 24-hour formats, and Time Flash, which blinks the light on the hour and at a time you set", according to Notebookcheck.
The price is said to be $135 (around £100 / AU$195), which lines up with the average prices of the CRW-001 (around $200 / £105 / AU$250), and it's reportedly set to be released in November.
More than a novelty
Retro-style Casio watches are evergreen and nostalgic, perhaps because they're part of a growing counterculture.
Analog is back in. Be it retro keychain film cameras, vinyl, or DVDs and Blu-Rays, people are becoming sick of increasing surveillance capitalism and anti-consumer practices, and are looking to return to a time when tech was exciting — albeit without losing their modern conveniences. Wearables are also a part of this movement.
The Casio F-B100W, the Bluetooth-enabled digital watch with a simple step tracker linked to an app and a Find My Phone functionality, has sold like crazy. It was a sell-out hit in Japan, and some outlets in the UK, and very recently landed in the US. I called it "an absolute belter of a watch for the price" and the "most fun" smart wearable I've worn this year when I tried the Casio F-B100W in September 2026.
While the ring-watch has a... unique look, shall we say, obviously enough people like it o make it a hit, and it makes sense Casio would want to repeat its success.
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