Casio, a maker that has long shaped how people read the time, has now folded its famous A168 digital watch down to the size of a finger. The CRW-002 arrives in Australia this November, offered in silver at $249 and gold at $299, a small object carrying a large nostalgia. It belongs to a lineage of shrinking wonders, where the old familiar face of timekeeping is reimagined to fit a new place on the body. Its fixed size, however, reminds buyers that some pleasures still depend on how closely the thing matches the one who wears it.
Casio's CRW-002 Shrinks the Iconic A168 Into a Working Ring Watch from AUD $249
A proper little digital watch, shrunk to a tenth of its usual module size
Mark
So this is an actual working watch, not a novelty?
Mimi
Yes. Six-digit LCD, dual time, auto-calendar, a 1/100-second stopwatch, three buttons and a backlight, all squeezed into a module about a tenth of the usual size.
Mark
Why the A168 specifically?
Mimi
It dates to 1995 and is one of Casio's most recognisable designs. They kept the rectangular face and even the coloured lettering around the screen.
Luke
Worth noting that this is a launch report. Nobody here has tested how readable or comfortable it is day to day.
Mark
Fair. What does Casio itself admit about limits?
Mimi
That the Time Flash light pulse may be hard to see in bright conditions. And it's only water-resistant for daily use.
Luke
And the battery claim of about two years is a rating, not something measured in the wild.
Mark
What about fit?
Mimi
That's the catch. The ring can't be adjusted. It's a Japanese size 22, US 10.5, with spacers for sizes 19 and 16.
Luke
So if your finger sits outside that range, the reporting offers no alternative. Nothing here says a different size is coming.
Mark
And the price?
Mimi
AUD $249 for silver, $299 for the gold ion-plated version, as part of the November 2026 collection.
Le Pouls
- A beloved 1995 digital classic has been squeezed onto a 15-gram stainless steel ring, drawing attention to a new kind of miniature wearable.
- The ring cannot be resized, so buyers face a tense, one-shot choice between a size 22 base and two included spacers.
- Fans of the A168 are weighing whether the tiny six-digit display, dual time and stopwatch justify $249 to $299.
- The release lands within Casio's November 2026 collection, and early buyers are expected to check their finger size before ordering.
Casio, a maker that has long shaped how people read the time, has now folded its famous A168 digital watch down to the size of a finger. The CRW-002 arrives in Australia this November, offered in silver at $249 and gold at $299, a small object carrying a large nostalgia. It belongs to a lineage of shrinking wonders, where the old familiar face of timekeeping is reimagined to fit a new place on the body. Its fixed size, however, reminds buyers that some pleasures still depend on how closely the thing matches the one who wears it.
Casio has taken one of its most recognisable watches and made it small enough to wear on a finger. The CRW-002 is a scaled-down version of the A168, the rectangular digital model the company first introduced in 1995. It measures just over 25 by 18 millimetres and weighs 15 grams, and it keeps the original's character: the rectangular face, the metal bracelet links that wrap around the finger, and the familiar black surround with its coloured lettering.
The ring follows Casio's earlier experiments in miniature, including the CRW-001 from 2024. Inside, the standard digital module has been reduced to about a tenth of its normal size, yet it still offers a six-digit display, dual time, an automatic calendar, a stopwatch reading to 1/100 of a second, and a white backlight. A Time Flash feature gives a subtle pulse of light on the hour, though the maker admits it may be hard to see in bright conditions. The watch is water-resistant for everyday use, not for swimming, and runs on a replaceable battery rated at about two years.
In Australia, the silver model sells for AUD $249 and the gold ion-plated version for AUD $299, both arriving with a presentation box, pouch and silicone stand. The one real constraint is sizing. Because the ring cannot be adjusted, it comes in a single Japanese size 22, with two spacers offering sizes 19 and 16. Anyone outside that range will not find a fit, so buyers are advised to measure carefully before committing.
The watch measures 25.2 by 18.2 by 6.2 millimetres, weighs 15 grams, and goes on your finger. Casio's new CRW-002 Ring Watch is a working digital timepiece, a scaled-down version of the A168, the rectangular digital model the company first introduced in 1995.
The Japanese maker has gone small before. The first ring watch, the CRW-001, was revealed in 2024, and a miniature G-SHOCK followed. Bandai has also fitted a Tamagotchi onto a finger. The CRW-002 is slightly narrower and lighter than the CRW-001, and it takes its design from one of Casio's most recognisable faces.
The A168's look has been carried over in detail: the rectangular face, the digital display, the metal bracelet, even the coloured lettering around the screen. The case is stainless steel, made by metal injection moulding, a process that lets Casio reproduce the original's intricate case and bracelet at a fraction of the size. The case is glossy, the bracelet links that wrap around the finger have a matte finish, and the dial surround is the familiar black.
Inside, Casio has reduced its standard digital watch module to roughly one-tenth its usual size. There is still room for a six-digit LCD showing hours, minutes and seconds, plus dual time, an automatic calendar, 12 or 24-hour timekeeping and a stopwatch that counts to 1/100 of a second. Three working buttons control it, and a white LED backlight lights the screen.
Casio has also included Time Flash, which makes the display give a subtle pulse of light on the hour or at a preset time. The company itself warns that the light may be hard to see in bright conditions. The watch is water-resistant for everyday use, which means it is not meant for the deep end of a pool. Power comes from a replaceable battery rated at about two years.
In Australia, two versions arrive as part of Casio's November 2026 collection: the silver CRW002D-1A at AUD $249, and the CRW002G-9A, finished in gold ion plating, at AUD $299. Each comes in a presentation box with a dedicated pouch and a silicone display stand.
Sizing is the one real constraint. Unlike a watch bracelet, the ring cannot be adjusted. It is a Japanese size 22, equivalent to a US 10.5, with an internal diameter of 20 mm. Two included spacers bring the fit down to Japanese sizes 19 and 16, with internal diameters of 19 mm and 18 mm. Anyone whose finger falls outside that range is out of luck, so buyers should check their size before ordering.
Citations marquantes
The Time Flash light pulse may be difficult to see in bright conditions.— Casio, as relayed by Man of Many
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