We just might be in a new era of watchmaking. In 2024, Casio generated a ton of buzz around a new G-SHOCK-style timepiece that would be fitted around your ring finger. The idea wasn’t groundbreaking, as ring watches have historically been around long before wristwatches. Nevertheless, the Japanese brand gave this premise a new context, zeroing in on urban streetwear rather than midcentury tchotchke or ’90s mall culture that had previously hosted these types of novelties in the past.
Now it’s Timex’s turn, collaborating with Beams on the Japanese retailer’s 50th anniversary. And while not as viral as the Casio model (which has seen a couple of new iterations in the months since), this is proof that the ring watch might just be the next big thing.
Two Icons, One Anniversary
Beams has been one of Japan’s most influential cultural editors since Etsuzo Shitara opened a 21-square-meter Americana shop in Harajuku back in 1976. What started as a dorm-room-styled importer of West Coast goods eventually evolved into one of fashion retail’s most prolific concept stores, with nearly 160 locations across Japan today. Beams Boy, its women’s sub-label, has long been a vehicle for exactly this kind of playful collaboration.
Timex, meanwhile, has had its own storied run with military-inspired design, starting in 1982 with the Camper. The cheap plastic field watch was produced for the U.S. Army and was designed to be disposable after use. Civilian collectors loved the idea of a lightweight, inexpensive beater (with a mechanical movement, no less), and so the Camper got a second life in the ’90s and was even used in the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men. The Camper was revived in the 2010s as a quartz watch that wasn’t meant to be thrown away.
Small Package, Real Watch
The challenge with a ring watch isn’t the concept, but the execution. Fitting an actual working movement inside a housing this compact has historically been the barrier that keeps these things as novelties. Beams buyers had apparently been requesting this for over a decade, and the technical ask was no small one. The result houses a Japanese quartz movement inside a lightweight resin case, topped with a durable acrylic crystal. The crown sits at three o’clock for time adjustment, and the dial preserves the Camper’s high-visibility, military-coded aesthetic at a dramatically reduced scale.
The base is fitted with a stainless steel expansion band that stretches to accommodate sizes 9 through 15. Since the links can’t be swapped out, the flexibility of the band is crucial.. One area worth watching is the long-term durability with a resin case on your finger, which sees a lot more contact and friction than a wrist. Also, no word on water resistance yet. Time will tell, but luckily this thing isn’t a bank-breaker.
Spec Sheet
Model: Timex x Beams Boy Original Camper Ring Watch
Case Material: Resin
Crystal: Acrylic
Movement: Japanese quartz (3-hand)
Band: Stainless steel expansion band
Ring Sizes: 9–15 (one size fits most via flexible band)
Color: Olive
Limited Edition: Yes (50th anniversary release)
Price: ¥19,140 (~$120)
Release Date: April 3, 2026
Pricing & Availability
The Beams Boy x Timex Camper Ring Watch drops April 3, exclusively through Beams. Priced at ¥19,140 (~$120), it’s offered in a single olive colorway as a 50th-anniversary special release.
Recap
Beams Boy x Timex Camper Ring Watch
Beams celebrates its 50th anniversary by teaming up with Timex to turn the iconic Camper field watch into a fully functional ring, featuring a Japanese quartz movement packed into a resin case with a stainless steel expansion band.
