Casio CA53W1 Wrist Watch for Men

I remember back in the early 80's when calculator watches first hit the market big time, I begged my mom to buy me one. Back then, a cheap plastic one would run you about $30. I just thought it was the coolest thing in the world, I mean, what could be better than math straight from your wrist?

Today, you can still relive those good old days with the Casio CA53W-1 Calculator Watch. It is a basic calculator watch that is very similar in appearance to the ones from the early 80's.

The first thing I noticed, though, when I picked one up, is that it is a lot thinner than I remember calculator watches used to be. It's also extremely lightweight as it is made almost entirely of plastic; even the buckle on the watchband is plastic. The only significant pieces of metal on here is it's stainless steel back, the watchband pins, and two little buttons on the right side (one button is recessed so you don't see it in the pictures). In spite of all the plastic, I would say it's got good solid construction and doesn't really feel cheap. The only thing I was a little disappointed with is that the calculator buttons are rubber instead of hard plastic. I'm not sure how well the rubber buttons will hold up to the wear and tear of everyday use. I do like the fact that the keypad has a clear plastic faceplate with the labeling of each button's function underneath the clear plastic. This means you won't have to worry about the button markings wearing away and then have to guess which button is +, which is =,...,etc.

The calculator itself is a basic 4 function (+,-,x,/) 8-digit calculator. There is no memory function. The buttons are very small and spaced closely together, so if you have large fingers you may find it difficult to operate. Fortunately for me, I have toothpick-like fingers so it's no problem. You can set the watch to beep every time a button is pressed but I usually have this feature turned off since it drains the battery faster. It will also show on the display which function you chose so you can confirm visually if you've pressed the right button. The calculator comes in very handy at the supermarket for doing comparison shopping or at the restaurant for calculating tips. Throughout the day, I often find myself in need to do quick mathematical calculations. Hmmm...how much overtime do I need to work to make X amount of $$$? I know, cell phones usually have a built-in calculator and who doesn't have a cell phone these days? But having a calculator at the ready at a push of a button right on your wrist is certainly much more accessible than having to reach into your pocket, pull out the phone, flip the phone open, then scroll through several levels of menus to finally get to the calculator.

Now, let's get to the watch portion of the Casio CA53W-1. You can display the time in 12hr or 24hr mode. Either way, it displays hours, minutes, and seconds. You can also set it to keep time in two different time zones; a great feature if you travel. The calendar is pre-programmed to the year 2079 so you won't need to worry about leap years anytime soon. The date display shows year, month, day, and day of the week. The day of the week is also always shown in the normal time display. According to the instructions, accuracy of the watch is ? 15 seconds a month. In actual use, I've had my Casio CA53W-1 for 4 months now and it's running about 20 seconds faster than the atomic clock I set it by when I first got it. That means mine is going about + 5 seconds a month. That's not too bad. Of course, the accuracy may vary from watch to watch.

Other features included in the Casio CA53W-1 are an alarm, hourly chime, and chronograph with lap timer. I haven't really used any of these functions on my watch yet although I'm sure they will come in handy at some point in time, except perhaps for the lap timer since my track running days are over. Another great feature of this watch is that it is water resistant. That means you don't have to worry if water splashes on it when you wash your hands, get caught in the rain, or sweat excessively. My OMNI calculator watch from the 80's was not water resistant which is ultimately what led to it's demise. One feature that the Casio CA53W-1 does not have is a backlight for the display. This is a very minor issue for me though, as I rarely ever use the light on my other watches which do have a backlight. I'm always afraid of draining the battery. Speaking of battery, the Casio CA53W-1 uses a CR-2016 lithium battery which is supposed to last for about 5 years.

Finding this watch shouldn't be difficult. They're all over the place in stores and online wherever Casio watches are sold. I got mine at Kmart for $14.99 on sale. Sure, most people would consider a calculator watch to be nerdy, but we all know how smart nerds are, so even if you're not a nerd, what better way to upgrade the perception of your intelligence by others than by strapping one of these babies on?