Considering the wearable technology available to us today, it’s amazing to think there was a time when you had to manually reset the calendar on your digital watch each month if you wanted it to stay accurate. That was the situation before the Casio Casiotron QW02 arrived in 1974. It was Casio’s first wristwatch and the first digital watch to have a fully automatic calendar.
Now, 50 years later, Casio has commemorated its release with the Casiotron TRN-50, a lovingly designed retro reissue with more modern connected tech inside. It comes at a time when some of us are trying to avoid so many notifications interrupting our day, and it’s probably the coolest way to achieve this goal yet.
Why this is such a classic watch
It’s hard to fathom how big a deal the original Casiotron QW02 was from both a technological and horological standpoint, but the 1970s price gives you some idea. According to Casio, it could cost up to 58,000 yen in 1974, which was about the monthly salary a Japanese university graduate could expect at the time. For context, in 2024 in the U.S., this is estimated to be around $5,700, so more expensive than an Apple Vision Pro, and up there with luxury watches from brands like Omega and Tudor.
Today, Casio is probably better known for its G-Shock models or perennial favorites like the F-91, but the QW02 was where it all began, so reimagining the watch for its 50th anniversary is appropriate. It did so earlier this year with the limited edition TRN-50 and has recently followed it up with a second version, the TRN-50-SS, that is part of its new Sky and Sea range. Both are hard to find, having proven very popular with Casio collectors and fans around the world, but is the 2024 Casiotron worth seeking out?
Casio has kept the design true to the original, but filled the inside with a lot more tech than an automatic calendar. Most notable for us is Bluetooth, so the watch can be paired to the Casio Watches app on your phone, where the time and date can be set and altered, a function which is also performed by Casio’s Multiband 6 radio-controlled time adjustment feature.
The app also includes a phone finder, world time adjustment, reminders, and a location-tagging feature. Best of all, it’s solar-powered, so there’s no need to plug in a charger.
What’s it like to wear?
Made from stainless steel, with mineral glass over the digital display, the TRN-50 has almost exactly the same dimensions as the original QW02, yet it doesn’t feel small or look old on your wrist. Its 111-gram weight sounds heavier than it wears, mostly because of the thin and light metal bracelet, which is attractively designed and finished. I also love the matching gold trifold clasp on the TRN-50-SS with the 50th Anniversary logo and special engraving.
For a digital watch based on a design from 50 years ago and with obvious retro appeal, the TRN-50 still manages to look modern and surprisingly expensive on your wrist today. The Casiotron logo, the fluting around the face, and the distinctive bezel all glint in the sun, while the squared-off integrated lugs mean it should work well on all wrist sizes. I think it suits my 6.5-inch wrist in the photos really well, and I’ve loved wearing it.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, a digital Casio was the height of cool in the schoolyard. Today, the TRN-50’s faithfully recreated design is understated and desirable. It is the perfect example of a watch that appeals to collectors, casual watch fans, and a generation that grew up seeing digital watches evolve. It all shows just how iconic and enduring the shape and the technology inside the QW-20 really were.
Using the TRN-50
The new version has only a few design changes, one of the most impactful of which is replacing the QW02’s single case button with four buttons around the case. These buttons let you cycle through the modes, open the settings menu, activate the light, or start the Bluetooth connection. Unlike some G-Shock models, the buttons are all easy to press, and the action feels suitably refined and expensive, too.
Connecting the app takes just seconds, but it’s not maintained, so don’t expect notifications or activity tracking. The Time and Place feature is activated with a long button press, and after syncing the watch with the Casio Watches app, your location is shown on a map, complete with longitude and latitude data, time, and date. This is handy for everything from noting where you parked your car to quickly saving a place you’d like to visit later.
It’s not going to challenge an Apple Watch Series 9 or even a fully connected G-Shock like the GPR-H1000 Rangeman in terms of overall functionality, but the app helps manage the watch’s basic functions without having to learn how to adjust things like the world time on the watch itself. It also makes changing the time when you travel faster too. The Casio Watches app has improved a lot over the last year or so, and although I could do without its catalog of watches taking up prime placement in the menu, it’s a cool way to keep track of your collection.
Modernizing a classic
The Casiotron was a trendsetter and set Casio on its way to becoming a titan of the watch world. It’s fitting that a 50th-anniversary reimagining has been made, and it’s wonderful to see that Casio hasn’t deviated far from the design when it could have so easily done so. Adding Bluetooth gives it an appropriate modern twist and increases its usability and appeal. It’s one of the easiest-wearing watches I’ve tried in a while thanks to the superb bracelet and overall light weight.
It’s hard to recommend a “basic” digital watch to smartwatch fans when the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 exist, but when phones with digital detox features are becoming more common, a watch like the Casiotron TRN-50 fits in well with this growing trend. The great thing is that you’re actually getting a very special, beautifully made watch steeped in history that should easily last for years and years while avoiding those pesky notifications at the same time.
I love how the Casiotron is effortless to wear while still looking seriously cool, but I’m not a fan of how difficult it is to buy. The TRN-50 was limited to 4,000 pieces globally, and it sold out in a very short time, while the Sky and Sea TRN-50-SS model is also only being made in limited numbers. You’ll either be lucky to find one, pay more to get one through a third party, or have to wait until Casio launches another version.
Considering it already made two Casiotron models in 2024, there’s a chance Casio may make another before its 50th anniversary passes, and I have no problem telling you to go and snap one up if you have the chance.
