Casio never has a shortage of new releases but this year being the brand’s 50th anniversary of watchmaking, we’ve been blessed with some truly spectacular timepieces — most notably the revival of the Casiotron based on the original 1974 model in a blue and steel colorway. This was followed by a blue and gold “Sky and Sea” variant. Both of these were limited-edition models.
Now, the Japanese brand is rolling out another 50th-anniversary series called “From Zero to One” in black and gold colorways, which includes perhaps the classiest Casiotron we’ve seen thus far.
The Casiotron
Prior to 1974, Casio was known for its calculators and cameras, but aspired to deliver the world’s very first digital watch with an automatic calendar. This inaugural Casio timepiece was dubbed the Casiotron and had the ability to track seconds, minutes, and hours while displaying a full calendar that adjusted for the year’s shorter months. At the time, the Casiotron was priced at around $369, which would be well over $2,000 today when adjusted for inflation.
However, as time has passed, Casio is now considered a budget watchmaker but with some highly retro timepieces in its current catalog. And with the revival of the Casiotron, fans can now acquire the once-luxury watch for around $600.
Casio Casiotron 50th Anniversary Black and Gold Basics
Just like the other two 50th-anniversary Casiotrons from this year, the new TRN50ZE-1A has a case size of 42.7mm x 39.1mm with a 12.3mm thickness. It is still powered by a Tough Solar movement and boasts just 50m of water resistance. The real magic of this new timepiece is the visual aesthetic itself.
Casio’s concept for this new limited-edition version is “From Zero to One,” which takes inspiration from “making something from nothing.” The gold bezel over the black ion-plated stainless steel case pulls from this theme, representing the “flicker of light, that spark of innovative craftsmanship, where the creation of new value begins.” The theming is continued onto the caseback with a “0101” pattern in a complete circle. Waxing poetic aside, the touches of gold against the black case and matching black ion-plated bracelet are pretty remarkable and decidedly more elegant than all previous versions. This is a beautiful digital watch.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 42.7mm x 39.1mm
Case Thickness: 12.3mm
Case Material: Black ion-plated stainless steel
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: Tough Solar
Band: Black ion-plated stainless steel bracelet
Limited Edition?: Yes
Pricing & Availability
Like the other Casiotron models released this year, the new black and gold version is limited to an unspecified edition size. Priced at $600, the watch is expected to arrive sometime this month. Head over to Casio’s website to learn more.
Recap
Casio 50th Anniversary Casiotron Black and Gold
For its 50th anniversary, Casio made a super elegant black-and-gold version of its Casiotron, the first digital calendar watch from 1974.
