Item #0005 – Casio CA-53A Resin Calculator Watch (2002-15?)

Who cares about an Apple Watch or Fitbit when you are displaying this wrist candy? Yes, your fingers are too big for the buttons. Yes, your phone can also give you the time, set a timer or an alarm, and calculate plus a million other things. BUT will this watch, reminiscent of high-end wearable 1980s technology, make you the star of social events? Well, probably not, but you just don’t see one of these everyday, and it makes for a rather hip bracelet.

This watch legally belongs to my oldest, The Conspiracy Theorist, or at least that’s what the information in the “To:” field on the sandwich bag it was gifted in implies. Knowing his quirkiness, his Aunt Amy presented this replica of old school charm to him. He’s kind of obsessed with calculators, and the fact it is water resistant forces any curious kid his age to test its limits. Still going strong, Casio!

Now this Casio calculator watch is a modern replica widely sold today (Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.). If you read the reviews, you can tell a lot of twenty- and thirty-somethings buy these just as a conversation starter/novelty item, but (Wiki, let’s do this!) they were state-of-the-art information devices. Calculator watches came out in the 1970s with Pulsar leading the way. By the mid-1980s, Casio was the largest producer in the calculator watch market with the innovative Databank watch capable of storing appointments, names, and numbers in addition to serving as a calculator. One Amazon reviewer states that the Casio DBC610A-1A Telememo watch will only hold 50 names and scheduled events, and when the battery is dead, you have a limited time to replace the battery before ALL of that info is wiped clean. Yikes.

Then there’s the Casio CMD40B-1Z Technoware Calculator TV Remote Watch and Casio DBC611G-1D Gold & Black Digital Watch. How can you even comment on these beauties?

Anyway in about a decade when our dear Conspiracy Theorist heads off to college, I would love it if, in addition to whatever “Beam me up, Scotty” smartphone they have at the time, he rocks this gem on his wrist revealing a little bit of his quirkiness that we adore. If not, it might end up in a nerdy homeschool time capsule.

Sorry, Aunt Amy.

Status: Definitely not for sale (It’s so hard to find unique time capsule items!)

Random for You:

Casio makes and sells a multitude of other products we often overlook such as musical instruments, label makers, and cash registers.

One of Casio’s newest watches is the PRW3500-1 Solar Atomic watch which includes a barometer, compass, and altimeter. Does anyone aside from Bear Grylls need this watch?

Wristwatches became popular after their use by soldiers in WWI (sometimes referred to as a trench watch). For a good history of the first wristwatches, go to http://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/earlywristwatches.php where David Boettcher also sells beautiful replica WWI-era leather watch straps.

What do you think? Would you REALLY use it or would it just serve as a hipster accessory?