With time travel still impossible, the easiest way to head back to 1985 might be via your wristwatch. For the past 40 years, Back to the Future has grown to become one of our culture’s most beloved films, combining nostalgia, comedy, and adventure in a way few others have ever been able to do. It’s certainly a ubiquitous staff favorite here at HICONSUMPTION.
For its jubilee anniversary, Casio has partnered with the movie on a calculator watch inspired by the time gauge dashboard inside Doc Brown’s DeLorean, and it’s incredibly affordable.
You Built a Time Machine… Out of a Calculator Watch??!
Casio has been manufacturing calculator watches since 1980’s C-80, and by the time Back to the Future hit theaters in 1985, these devices were already cultural fixtures on millions of wrists worldwide. The CA-500WEBF-1A digital timepiece resurrects that era through inspired design cues that hardcore BTTF fans will immediately recognize.
The multicolored calculator buttons mirror the DeLorean’s time circuit display, where Doc would frantically input destination dates across red, yellow, and green readouts. Above the screen sits “OUTATIME” — the famous license plate that became shorthand for the entire franchise. Flip the watch over and you’ll find the flux capacitor etched into the caseback, the fictional device that required 1.21 gigawatts and 88 miles per hour to punch through the space-time continuum.
Still Calculated
Beyond the aesthetic nods, this remains a functional calculator watch through and through. The 8-digit calculator works via nostalgic push-button controls, while the dual time display, stopwatch, and full auto-calendar (programmed through 2099) handle daily needs. A CR2016 quartz battery powers everything for five years straight. Lastly, the 34.4mm x 43.2mm steel-colored resin case is adorned with a stainless steel bracelet with Casio’s self-adjustable clasp system.
Casio understood the assignment with the packaging as well. The watch arrives in a box designed like a vintage VHS cassette, complete with faux rental labels so fans can display the housing even when the watch is on their wrist.
Spec Sheet
Model: CA-500WEBF-1A
Case Material: Resin
Case Size: 34.4mm
Lug-to-Lug: 43.2mm
Case Thickness: 8.2mm
Band: Stainless steel with adjustable clasp
Movement: Quartz
Functions: 8-digit calculator, dual time, stopwatch, daily alarm, full auto-calendar
Limited Edition: Yes, unspecified
Price: £115 (~$154)
Pricing & Availability
Priced at £115 (~$154), CA-500WEBF-1A releases October 21 — “Back to the Future Day” — through Casio’s international online stores in limited quantities.
Recap
Casio x Back to the Future CA-500WEBF-1A Watch
Casio’s celebrating Back to the Future’s 40th anniversary with a calculator watch that nails the DeLorean aesthetic with multicolored buttons mimicking the time circuits, flux capacitor caseback, and even VHS-style packaging, all for right around $150.
