To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Casiotron, Casio re-issued a faithful version of the original QW02 — the Japanese company’s first wristwatch.

Amidst the quartz crisis in the 1970s (an era when quartz became wildly popular to the detriment of mechanical watches), Casio — which was founded in 1946 and was a pioneer of electronic calculators — decided to enter the timepiece business.

Casio realized that by making digital watches, a type of quartz timepiece, they could extend the utility of the LSI (Large-Scale Integration) technology it had developed for calculators by incorporating it into watches. The Casiotron QW02 was Casio’s first-ever wristwatch, released in November 1974. For reference, the Rubik’s Cube, a 3-D combination puzzle invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik, came out the same year.

In addition to being Casio’s first timepiece, the 1974 Casiotron Ref. QW02 was equipped with the world’s first watch calendar that automatically adjusted for longer and shorter months (with no need to reset the calendar on the first of each month, not even during a leap year).

In 1976, Casio released the X-1, which added stopwatch and world time functions to the calendar and time telling of the QW02. Fast forward to 2024, and Casio released the Casiotron TRN50-2A numbered limited 50th Anniversary edition, representing a visually faithful re-edition of the original Casiotron QW02 from 1974 — with Casio’s latest technological enhancements.

The reproduction is a meticulous reproduction of the original Casiotron, both in look and size. The external diameter is essentially the same, at 39.1 mm, and the profile measures 0.3 mm slimmer. You’ll find touches of the original throughout this limited edition, echoing that first design including the textured circular machined pattern on the top case, virtually the same steel bracelet, the dark blue dial, the applied metallic Casio logo, the metallic Casiotron logo, and numerous other details.

The caseback features the same symbol as the original, slightly updated to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Casio watches, and for the modern remake, Casio installed a glass insert in the screw-in metal housing, which is how the atomic radio antenna receives time signal updates. Each limited-edition timepiece is accompanied by an engraved limited-edition number (between 0001 and 4000) on the caseback.

On the wrist, the 39 mm diameter and conservative thickness of just 12.3 mm, as well as the diminutive 42.7 mm lug-to-lug measurement, wears somewhat small but I found it to be just large enough to look good on my 7″ wrist. It should wear well on a broad range of wrists, unlike a 36 mm watch which is more appropriate for those with smaller wrists. Comfort-wise the 20 mm bracelet that tapers down to 18 mm (and has 3 micro-adjustments on the clasp) feels great, the total weight of just 111 grams feels substantial and high-quality but not heavy, and overall the watch’s ergonomics are excellent.

While the original Casiotron was ahead of its time with a built-in fully automatic calendar (the equivalent of a perpetual calendar in mechanical watchmaking), the new Casiotron, like its predecessor is advanced for its time. Taking the already incredibly accurate battery-powered quartz, Casio added radio-controlled atomic time syncing to the new Casiotron and Bluetooth connectivity. Bluetooth and atomic time calibration are not unusual within the Casio, G-Shock, MRG, and Oceanus catalogs — but outside of Casio (or smartwatches), few watch companies offer anything this accurate (mobile phone accuracy). And even if there’s no mobile phone connection or backup atomic radio signal received, minimum accuracy is -15/+15 seconds per month.

As far as functions, the Casiotron has a world time indication, a stopwatch, timer, countdown timer, alarm, hourly time signal, full auto calendar, battery display alert, 12/24-hour format, Date/month display swapping, Day display (days of the week selectable in six languages), and more. As well as regular timekeeping: hour, minute, second, pm, month, date, day. One of the ultimate conveniences offered within the Casio ecosystem has been added to the Casiotron, which now has solar power, meaning light (artificial or natural) enters through the translucent dial, and recharges the battery. Casiotron has a white  LED backlight that combined with the standard black LCD readout is sharp and easy to read in all conditions.

Verdict

Upon closer inspection, at first, what might appear to be a standard entry-level Casio timepiece, it becomes clear this is anything but. The Casiotron 50th Anniversary LE (Ref. TRN50-2A) is a faithful reproduction of the original, loaded with cutting-edge features and it looks and feels amazing on the wrist.

In making the Casiotron into a modern model, Casio has kept the old circular textured (ribbed) finish on the top of the case, which is not exactly high-end and they also opted for a mineral crystal on the dial side instead of the sapphire crystal, but they’ve still managed to deliver a premium looking timepiece with a solid fit and finish, great ergonomics, and the magic that so many brands look for: nostalgia.

Whether remembering an old movie, a special place, your first car, or a watch from the 1970s — the past is transcendent and can evoke a great feeling. When companies bring it back, the emotional appeal can be irresistible to some.

Casio brought back the original and made it even better, with Bluetooth, solar power, atomic radio-controlled time syncing, and many more features, all within an easy-to-use (4-button versus 1-button design) — and an aesthetic that’s arguably as nice or nicer looking than the original. So many times brands mess up remakes, but this time Casio nailed it.

All 4,000 numbered iterations of this release are sold out, however, if you’re dying to get one, you can find them on eBay at a markup above retail — or we’ve heard there may be another similar release forthcoming.

This is a limited edition and the retail price is $500.

Learn more about Casio’s 50th Anniversary.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS:

Casiotron TRN-50-2A

Reference: TRN-50-2A

Year: 2024

Total Weight: 111 grams

Case Material: stainless steel

Case Diameter: 39.1 mm

Case Thickness: 12.3 mm

Lug-to-lug: 42.7 mm

Crown Diameter: No crown (4 push buttons)

Glass: Mineral Crystal

Movement: Japanese Quartz Module 3542

Depth Rating: 50 meters

Bracelet: 20.5 mm/18 mm (3 micro adjustments/2 button release)