The history of Casio watches
136 comments
·November 8, 2025wkjagt
isp
The Casio CMD-40
https://old.reddit.com/r/casio/comments/15n9anq/did_we_all_f...
I am wearing one right now - it has been my daily driver for literally decades
(While it has VCR controls built-in, it can "learn" infrared frequencies for "new" inventions like DVD players - copying from an existing IR remote control. Surprisingly, still compatible with modern TVs - at least for basic functions like volume control.)
It was once "futuristic"; collectors now sell them as "retro" and "vintage"
gorgoiler
The incredible Sensor Watch after-market board is really worth a mention on a thread like this:
Joey et al.’s work ports the SPICE astronavigation library to the on board ARM m0 giving you a complete orrery in a classic F91W “Terrorist” watch. It is fantastic!
I really love being able to get an estimate of when and where The Moon will rise, or where Saturn is right now. Timekeeping and astronomy are two of the oldest forms of science we have and I love being in constant touch with them via the newest science we have: computers! (The source is all open and available for you to hack on, including a nifty emulator.)
avhon1
> a complete orrery in a classic F91W “Terrorist” watch
It took me a bit of searching, but sure enough:
https://www.sensorwatch.net/docs/watchfaces/complication/#or...
Seems very tedious to actually use, but very cool to have it in the unassuming wristwatch.
gorgoiler
The astronomy face is superior as it calculates the altitude and azimuth of the selected object based on your programmed location and, of course, the current time:
https://www.sensorwatch.net/docs/watchfaces/complication/#as...
What would be even better would be to acknowledge that altitude is somewhat moot when all these objects are in the ecliptic plane — unsurprisingly Jupiter at Jovian noon is roughly where The Sun was at lunchtime! — and instead cycle through the azimuths of each object in the sky, in the order in which they are visible.
LeoPanthera
The Yes WorldWatch has the same astronomical almanac but with a display purpose-built for it.
https://yeswatch.com/wrist-watch/worldwatch/worldwatchV7-col...
They're expensive, but beautiful.
null
jazzyjackson
The CGW-50 Cosmo Phase is impressive on that end for displaying realtime planet positions in 1989, now of course it's just another watch face to choose from on Apple.
Still I bet the Casio works offline longer :p
I'll have to revisit the sensor watch, I'd love to hit a button for sunrise and moonrise
ralferoo
Interesting reading, especially as I didn't realise how far ahead of the times they were. The other thing that strikes me is that they'd churn out all sorts of watches - from incredibly beautiful things, to absolutely hideous (from a modern perspective) with bold colours on plastic, but some new geeky features. Also, I'd never thought about how many Casio watches I'd owned in my life!
When I was young I had the calculator watch. I guess C-80, as I remember the white buttons sticking out, but I can't remember any other features. Also not sure why I had a calculator watch I must only have been about 6 or 7 years old. Maybe I'd convinced my parents it was cool!
I also had a 50m water resistant watch, which isn't in the article, but looks like it was the W-59. This was black plastic.
I must have had another watch around this time too, as I remember having a skin reaction (eczema) to the metal back, and having to wear a cotton layer between the watch and my skin. It couldn't have been the next watch though, as the article says it was introduced in 1995 and the eczema would have been around 1986.
The AQ-230 was the last watch I wore before going watchless for about 20 years.
In the early 2000s the strap on my AQ-230 broke, and I realised that I now always had a mobile phone with the time and no longer needed a watch. I didn't get another watch until my first Garmin for running / hiking, but that was only worn during activities, and my most recent Garmin that I tend to wear most of the time.
rdtsc
Some of cool and the wild ones:
> The TM-100 was a highly unique wristwatch with the ability to transmit speech via radio. Outfitted with an FM transmitter and microphone, the watch allowed users to wirelessly broadcast their voice to a radio tuned to the right frequency simply by speaking toward the watch
> The unique CMD-10 delivered remote control functionality for TVs and VCRs. Its function-minded layout of large remote control buttons ensured intuitive operability. Users could turn their TV or VCR on or off, change channels, adjust the volume, and more using the watch on their wrist.
And then there is the sad one, too:
> The ever-innovative G-SHOCK brand takes a new step, launching a virtual community where people can co-create and interact with one another via digital platforms like NFTs and the metaverse.
Pfiffer
This one too:
> Simply holding the watch’s built-in speaker up to the receiver of a push-button telephone allowed users to place calls to stored numbers
palmotea
>> Simply holding the watch’s built-in speaker up to the receiver of a push-button telephone allowed users to place calls to stored numbers
So a miniaturized version of one of this (which I totally uselessly had as a kid): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z438yRW0rGQ.
piltdownman
How on earth did we never see some early 90s hacker-culture movie do some Blue-box phreaking using this watch, similar to the (fictional) Atari Portfolio ATM hack in Terminator 2.
snicky
I had CMD-10 as a kid. It was fun when it worked, but it wasn't pairing well with most TV sets and video players. Though it's possible I just didn't know how to set it up properly.
FabHK
There was a mode where you'd just cycle through all stored "remotes" until the TV switched off. Then you picked that one, and most likely it would work (in my experience). It was great.
Cthulhu_
I once had a soldering course from a guy that is mainly known for creating a remote that could turn off any TV some years ago, really chill guy but also hillarious that he made a business out of a single gimmicky item like that.
I wouldn't be surprised if he lurks on here, if so, hi!
edit: it's the "TV-B-Gone" by Mitch Altman, who was at the forefront of creating hackerspaces - TIL they weren't as much of a thing in the US until 2008.
kiddico
I have a fantastic memory of confusing my 4th grade teacher when I learned that it worked on the TV in our classroom after setting it up to work at my grandma's house... Sorry Mrs. Norris. You were lovely.
rvba
The temperature sensor was an interesting idea. Wonder if smartphones will ever get that. Probably not, since it is cheaper to get this information online (but then it is often inaccurate).
XenophileJKO
The pixel 9 xl has a infrared temperature sensor. I was surprised when I learned this.
raffael_de
what would be the point of a temperature sensor in a smartphone. the smartphone is carried by me. that means I already know if it's cold or hot.
kridsdale1
I was having such a nice time reading all that until the final entry in 2023. Yuck.
portly
Those ideas feels so old already
patwolf
According to this their most recent innovation was in 2023 with a "virtual community where people can co-create and interact with one another via digital platforms like NFTs and the metaverse."
nextos
It's disappointing. It reinforces the cliché that most hardware companies don't understand software.
The GPR-B1000 was promising, as it signaled Casio might be heading towards making watches with advanced features like GPS, yet a bit different from regular smartwatches and close to their traditional models. This model was tied to a phone app, but I thought this was OK for their first iteration.
Fast forward to 2023, their expensive DW-H5600 was very disappointing. They included a Polar heart rate monitor, which are known for their reliability. Nevertheless, hear rate readouts are extremely noisy to the point of being useless. Also, setting up the watch requires pairing it with a Casio app, which is absurd for a non-smartwatch.
I would love to be able to buy a normal watch that offers heart rate monitoring and basic GPS tracking but can be operated fully offline, doesn't need updates, and will not become abandonware in 5 years time. Garmin is nearly there with some models. Some Casio, Withings, Polar, and Suunto models also have interesting features but overall still far from that ideal goal.
Besides, in many regulated environments you can't have a watch with hardware radios like Bluetooth. Only Garmin seems to understand this. Suunto had terrific models, but is slowly falling behind and has been sold to a Chinese conglomerate.
tacticalturtle
They really do not understand software. Or at least human friendly interfaces.
I have a GBX-100, which does have basic smart features when connected to a phone. If you get a text or email, it will tell you that you have a notification.
You also have the option to read the contents of the message, if you press a single button six(!) times!
Fortunately I bought it because I wanted the time and I liked the way it looks.
tombert
I've been pretty happy with my Garmin Instinct Crossover. It looks like a regular watch, and so if Garmin decides to drop support for it, then it still has like a 2 month battery as a regular watch.
nradov
Are there any current Garmin smartwatch models without hardware radio transmitters? I think they all have one or more of Bluetooth, ANT+, WiFi, NFC, or LTE. You can put them into airplane mode to stop all transmissions but the radio hardware is still there in the device.
Findecanor
I think they should have mentioned the ABL-100 from 2024 [0]. It is probably their most interesting recent watch. It has a step tracker, sets time via Bluetooth from a smartphone, and it is in a classic digital Casio style similar to the A168W and A158W.
0: https://www.casio.com/intl/watches/casio/standard/vintage/ab...
tombert
I facepalmed when I read that last entry. I had a G-Shock watch for a long time, it was a great watch, I have a lot of sentimentality towards it, but I do not see any reason why anyone would want an NFT for it.
kridsdale1
Post pandemic was a wild time for executives. All the video game company CEOs too were on the NFT train.
AI mania wiped all that away instantly.
somat
I agree it is all a bit stupid, But I am feeling charitable this morning so I will give it a go.
If you wanted to create a registry of watch ownership a nft is certainly one way to go about it. and this use makes far more sense than most tokens. running on nothing more than a dream.
Really I think it is more that companies need to maintain a corp of engineers, these engineers are needed for key important projects, but a stable company is not in panic "put out the fire" mode all the time. so there is room for more speculative projects. and this is probably one of them.
harvey9
Then they stopped snorting coke and did a sensible walk-back?
reaperducer
Considering the heyday of Casio watches was in the 80's, maybe they need more coke.
legitster
> 2016 - First Casio outdoor watch to run Android Wear OS
Could you imagine the situation they were in as the most high-tech watch company in the world? For mainstream relevance you now have to anchor yourself to a smartphone platform that is either a) hostile to your very existence or b) completely abandons their platform and leaves you and your customers out to dry.
I know people complain about car manufacturers being hostile to CarPlay and Android Auto. But I think in the long run, the executives are being smart. Looking down the history of other companies that turned over responsibility of their user experience to tech companies - there's not a good track record of long-term successes.
I still think about the way the CEO of Nokia back in 2010 described what it would be like for them to abandon their in-house OS for Android: "Peeing yourself to stay warm".
tw04
> Looking down the history of other companies that turned over responsibility of their user experience to tech companies - there's not a good track record of long-term successes.
We’re talking about the same auto executives that would sell you a $100k+ car and then try to charge you $200/year for map updates so that the built in navigation wasn’t out of date 1 year into ownership? Those are the guys worried about the tech stack in your car being “abandoned”?
Apologies if I’m skeptical that that aren’t just hoping to use the infotainment as another source of recurring revenue. Especially when they’ve said as much in earnings calls.
majormajor
> I know people complain about car manufacturers being hostile to CarPlay and Android Auto. But I think in the long run, the executives are being smart. Looking down the history of other companies that turned over responsibility of their user experience to tech companies - there's not a good track record of long-term successes.
No car manufacturer suffered that badly from using standard-sized single-DIN/double-DIN radios for a couple of decades. CarPlay/Android Auto are just software versions of those. It's a way to let your car stay more relevant 3, 5, 10 years down the line.
But that conflicts with short-term revenue optimization, data gathering, advertising, etc.
Arainach
>know people complain about car manufacturers being hostile to CarPlay and Android Auto. But I think in the long run, the executives are being smart. Looking down the history of other companies that turned over responsibility of their user experience to tech companies - there's not a good track record of long-term successes.
Car infotainment is full of examples of why the car manufacturers can't be trusted to have *short term* success. Garbage UI, constantly charging huge money for obsolete-before-you-get-them updates. The Google Graveyard looks like a fertility clinic compared to the car entertainment systems put out by GM/Ford/BMW/Toyota/Everyone
pixelatedindex
> I still think about the way the CEO of Nokia back in 2010 describing what it would be like for them to abandon their in-house OS for Android: "Peeing yourself to stay warm"
This has intrigued me because eventually that’s what they ended up doing - although with two major caveats.
Firstly, the mobile space did not have room for 3 players - MS tried very hard and their Nokia phones were pretty good. But it was just one platform too many. They just couldn’t find a niche for itself as Android was being used everywhere due to their open source branch. Proves the point made by you though, there wasn’t space for a second Android if MS were to embrace open source. Nokia tried hard with Meego - I loved the UI but the market was moving at light speed back then.
Secondly, HMD started by branching off from the Nokia of yore and their Android devices are also very good.
I’ll always miss my old Nokias, they were the duopoly with the BlackBerry in the pre-smartphone era.
rvba
The tiles UI was simply not good.
The phones themselves were very good. I have a functional Windows phone in a drawer, that I sometimes charge (and it still works!), but after playing with the tile UI for few minutes... eww
mmsimanga
I absolutely loved the tiles interface and held onto my Windows phone for as long as I could. I eventually had to switch to Android when apps I depended stopped working on Windows phone.
7thaccount
Absolutely LOVED the tiles UI and so did everyone I know that gave Windows phone a shot. By far the best mobile experience I've had outside of a few apps I wanted missing. I really miss the OS. I think in general though the other commenters were correct that there was already too much market share coming from iOS and Android.
nradov
By 2016, Garmin was already building smart watches using their own proprietary OS that wasn't anchored to any smartphone platform. Casio could have done the same.
oriolid
Suunto, Polar and probably a lot of others were doing the same. Android was attractive because it would be a huge saving on software development costs, have maps out of the box and allow third-party apps.
At least Polar had a watch that would run in low-power mode by default and had a separate CPU that could run Android Watch when needed but that would drain the battery quickly. They had the sense to not make it the flagship model and it looks like the current models don't have anything like that.
al_borland
I think automakers can still find a happy medium, providing a fully functional vehicle that doesn't require CarPlay or Android Auto, but still supports them for customers, since they do exist right now and are extremely helpful.
The automakers should seek to win over customers by making the better experience, not by excluding the other options.
wmeredith
Casio were decidedly not the most high tech watch company in the world in 2016. The Apple Watch had come out in 2015 and Android watches had been around for years before that.
kevin_thibedeau
They maintained a crucial lead in watches that could run for more than 18 hours.
oriolid
> "Peeing yourself to stay warm".
Which in-house OS this was about? For Symbian, "burning platform" was at least honest.
glimshe
UNESCO should declare the F-91W a part of humanity's cultural heritage.
mickeyp
I had one of those as a kid. Great watch.
Reading the wikipedia page for it may make you rethink that thought though :(
hermitcrab
Love my G-shock GW-6900. Only weak point is the resin strap, which needs replacing every few years. I do not want a 'smart' watch that needs to be regularly charged and is bleating at me all the time.
somat
I run a 5600, I am not super familiar with the rest of the g-shock line but the straps do appear to be the weak point of the whole thing. I found an adapter that allows me to use nato style nylon webbing straps. I mainly wanted it so I could replace the straps easier, but I have not had a strap break yet. A word of caution and a recommendation. The first adapter I got was also made of resin and broke in about the same amount of time the resin straps did(~ year) I found a company called ritchie strap that sells a steel adapter which has so far lasted ~ 6 years.
On the needed adapter, webbing straps are intended to feed directly through the strap pins but g-shocks tend to have a very narrow and tight strap attach pitch(16mm), the webbing does not fit well and I wanted a wider 24mm strap. I do not want to be to damming, I think the narrow pitch is intended to be stronger than a wide pitch but it does make things inconvenient for us g-shock with webbing strap connoisseurs.
derr1
You could always put it on a bracelet
palmotea
> https://www.casio.com/us/watches/50th/Heritage/1980s/:
> 1981, J-100, Jogging watch with pace-setting function
> 1982, AQ-500 (Janus) First Casio analog-digital combination watch with three hands
Interesting how they don't have a picture of these, they just have a black placeholder. I was able to Google a J-100 in seconds, including eBay listings for one for ~$390 and another for ~$520. There's an AQ-500 on Etsy. You'd think Casio could just buy one if their archives are missing an example.
xeyownt
I find the creativity of the Casio watches impressive (had a few), but I really don't get the UI / design. Since I got my first Garmin, I'm never going back. Garmin's watches are way more convenient and complete IMO (and certainly so if you do sports).
selfawareMammal
The Garmin design is hideous in my opinion. It's the only thing keeping me away from them.
function_seven
I was really surprised to find out that the F-91W was first released in 1989. I had assumed it was even older than that!
I wasn't too surprised to see their blurb leave out it's other (alleged!) known use
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W#Usage_in_terrorism
Findecanor
There existed watches with the same digits, features and buttons before that, but they were in steel. 1989 is about when Casio transitioned from metal to resin.
The metal watches were succeeded by the A158W, which is chrome-plated resin on the outside, same electronics module as the F-91W on the inside, and likewise is still in production.
After the resin case of my A158W eventually broke, I got a vintage W-34 with a broken movement and put the A158W's module inside. (It will get a SensorWatch PCB once I am done with my firmware mods)
Steel replacement cases for a F-91W are now also available on Aliexpress, so you don't have to hunt down a vintage watch if you want real steel.
mrweasel
The F-91W is such a fun watch. Super functional, you're not scared of damaging it, because A) You can't and B) it's like $25.
The backlight is my absolute favorit feature. It's completely pointless. It can barely light up the hours, and only the left most digit and Casio never bothered to fix it. Absolutely delightful.
aidenn0
I strongly prefer the WS1400H; it's only about $10 more and your wrist won't accidentally bump the stopwatch buttons.
mrweasel
I always bump the 24H button on the F-91W, I'm not entirely sure why Casio felt like you should be able to switch between 12h and 24h at the push of a button. My assumption is that most people stick to either of the two formats, jumping between them seems like a edge case.
joecool1029
Casio is still super hit or miss with backlights. I have a Casio Lineage LCW-M100TSE-1AER and the light is even less useful for its display. Otherwise it's very nearly a perfect watch for me.
BenjiWiebe
I wouldn't say my F-201WA has an amazing backlight, but it does work to see everything on the screen in the dark.
discreteevent
FYI Casio recently brought out a minimalist series of the F-91W (same watch - just a bit less chrome on the face) e.g. https://www.casio.com/europe/watches/casio/product.F-91WB-1A
I had the one with the TV/VCR remote functionality when I was in highschool in the 90s. During English class the teacher wanted to show Shakespeare plays on the VCR. I would pause the video, a friend of mine would walk up to the TV, and slap it on the side, while I unpaused it. We did this a couple of times until the teacher saw me do it and sent me to see the principal. Now that I'm more mature I realize how much that disturbed her class, and I kind of regret it, but maybe some people hold a fond memory of that moment.