A cigarette ring that evolved into a ring watch: Meet the Casio CRW-001

On its 50th anniversary, Casio stepped outside the conventional box with this new design. The Casio CRW-001 is a modern and contemporary version of a product that was launched in the ’40s, a representation of the brand’s evolution over the past few decades. This new ring watch pays tribute to Tadao Kashio’s designs.

It’s inspired by a cigarette ring that dates back to 1946. The ring was manufactured in Kashio Seisakujo, and it spread like wildfire in those days. Also known as a yubiwa pipe, the tiny product was worn on the finger as a ring but doubled as a cigarette mount.

Cigarette ring, also known the Yubiwa pipe

While the cigarette ring was not manufactured by Casio, it was the brainchild of the company that ran things before Casio, so it’s a part of Casio, too. The proceeds from the cigarette ring were used to build a new company that dominated many industries: Casio.

To celebrate a big milestone, Casio shrank the normal watch to a miniature size, with a factor of 10, producing a unique timepiece that can be worn on the finger.

Just like normal Casio watches, this model comes with three different buttons for adjusting time. Even though the CRW-001 is a small watch, it has superb functionalities, which are featured on a normal Casio watch — a stopwatch, a digital LCD display, and a calendar.

It also features a metallic casing constructed through metal injection molding (MIM), a highly advanced method that uses molds. It’s worth noting that every element, from the casing to the ring, is interlinked with this technology into one piece.

The new Casio CRW-001 is $120 — it’s available at Casio stores and other verified retail shops.

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