Casio Computer Co Ltd has announced the release of a new watch recreating the Casiotron QW02, the world’s first line of digital watches with an automatic calendar function, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Casio watches. The new TRN-50 is available in a limited edition of 4,000 watches worldwide.
Casio originally released the Casiotron in 1974, breaking ground with a digital wristwatch inspired by the insight that “watches simply add up seconds.” The watch made the most of the original digital technologies Casio had developed in its calculator business, bringing the concept of a fully automatic wristwatch to life. The Casiotron not only displayed time but also the correct month, date and day of the week — automatically adjusting for longer and shorter months with its automatic calendar function. Eliminating the hassle of correcting the calendar every month, the Casiotron was a true pioneer that went beyond what anyone expected of a digital wristwatch.
The new TRN-50 stays true to the Casiotron concept of a fully automatic wristwatch, drawing on all the advancements of Casio watch development over the half-century since the original model came out. While re-creating the Casiotron design, the new watch incorporates state-of-the-art features including radio controlled time adjustment, solar charging, and Mobile Link functions for pairing with a smartphone.
The original watch exterior, including its size, is meticulously re-created in a design that meets present-day quality standards. Many details, including the sophisticated textures of the case and band, the dark blue face, and the CASIOTRON logo, are faithfully reproduced.
The new watch also delivers practicality with the highly readable super-twisted nematic (STN) LCD and Tough Solar charging system. In addition to receiving time calibration signals transmitted from six stations around the world, the watch is equipped with Mobile Link functionality for pairing with a smartphone via Bluetooth® to ensure precision timekeeping. The vision of the original Casiotron lives on in the new TRN-50, now with features including automatic updating of world time zone/time difference information.
Special details befitting a limited-edition timepiece include the original case back design with engraved serial number and special packaging made from paper materials for low environmental impact.
The TRH goes on sale on Feb 29, priced at 63,800 yen.
Source: Casio Computer Co
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4 Comments
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Sven Asai
Nice retro timepiece, isn't it. As for me, I swear on their old databank watches, equipped even with a mini keyboard. Difficult to rebuy, but still a few can be found, and that at half of the price of above presented watch. I always have one on reserve and daily use the other one to store schedules and private data, for example MyNumber or passport number, phone numbers, bithdays etc., and of course there's the common goodie equipment like alarm, a calculator, world time, stop watch and countdown timer. If I had to chose between a smartphone and such an old Casio watch, I would immediately prefer the retro item which I am more used to and that's having a quality and lifespan not anymore reached in our current 'garbage technology' after-zenith era.
Arrrgh-Type
That's a sharp-looking piece of equipment right there.
Debians0001
Already sold out.
kyushubill
Got a Casio calculator watch for Christmas in 1985. Thing still runs.