Casio’s New $30 Digital Watch Looks Like a ’90s Gadget
This is the Japanese watchmaker's most unique riff on the digital format in years.
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Casio is closing out 2026 in style.
Fresh off debuting the first-ever automatic timepiece in its core range, the Japanese watchmaker now has a fun new digital watch that looks like something out of a '90s gadget catalog. And with a price to fit that era, too.
Casio's new LF-40W is a playful riff on the digital format, with a bifurcated display and a suite of features. - Credit: Casio
A new digital format
The LF-40W might look like Casio's Databank calculator watches but this model is something entirely different.
Possibly the brand's most unique riff on the digital format in years, the new watch has a basic time-date display up top, but gets playful with the bottom half of the dial.
Looking like a calculator watch at first glance, the model features three rows at the bottom. The top row is a mode/status indicator while the middle and bottom rows are elapsed time indicators. - Credit: Casio
The top portion of the timepiece is your standard time-date display. - Credit: Casio
Instead of providing you with the mode indicator on the main LCD screen, the timepiece has a dedicated panel that gives the status of its alarm, hourly time signal, alert sounds and daylight savings time. On a standard Casio dial, these four elements can be difficult to decipher but the LF-40W makes it a lot easier.
Underneath, two rows serve as elapsed seconds counters. The bottom row counts from 0 to 10, while the middle row illuminates for every 10-second interval.
The LF-40W comes in three resin case colorways so far, with matching resin straps. - Credit: Casio
Debuting in three colorways, the watch measures 33.7mm across and has a resin case and strap. It also offers your classic Casio feature set, including world time in 26 global cities, a stopwatch, and countdown timer and five daily alarms. It's also water resistant (likely just splash-resistant) and has an LED backlight activation.
An amber-colored LED backlight provides you with nighttime legibility. - Credit: Casio
Price and availability
The LF-40W is scheduled to arrive this month but presales are already available on some of Casio's international sites. In Japan, the price is listed at ￥4,400 (~$28) so you can expect a similar affordability in the US.
Casio LF-40W
About the Author: Ethan Brehm is an associate editor at Gear Patrol writing about footwear, watches, spirits, EDC and more. When he's not shopping for his next G-Shock, he spends his time watching movies and planning a future road trip with his family. He firmly believes CDs sound better than vinyl.
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