Casio Japan is releasing a new desk clock that will be familiar to those who’ve eschewed smartwatches in favor of simpler digital timepieces. It’s a supersized version of the Casio A158W digital watch that could make for a great nightstand alarm clock, although you may not want to hide its retro charm in your bedroom.
Casio supersized a classic digital watch to create this retro desk clock
The desk clock version of the Casio A158W adds features like a temperature and humidity sensor.
The desk clock version of the Casio A158W adds features like a temperature and humidity sensor.
is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
Officially called the DQD-851J-8JF, the clock will be exclusively available in Japan starting on October 25th for 4,378 yen (around $29). That’s even cheaper than the Casio A158W watch because the clock is made from plastic instead of stainless steel.
The desk clock also lacks a stopwatch and a chime that rings at the top of each hour but adds features not found on Casio’s basic digital watches like a thermometer and a humidity sensor. Its screen illuminates with amber LEDs that are easier on the eyes in the dark, and it can be used as an alarm clock with snooze functionality and five levels of sound.
A pair of AA batteries should power the clock for at least a year, and it has a fully automatic calendar with a day and month display above the time. For those actually using it in Japan, the clock will automatically set and adjust its time using local radio broadcasts but is not compatible with similar transmissions used in other countries.
If you plan to import and use it outside of Japan, the clock will need to be manually set and occasionally adjusted to keep it accurate.
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