Casio wristwatches sport an iconic design that has resulted in some, like the Japanese company’s FR-F91W, sticking around for decades. But the problem with a product that has been around since the late twentieth century is that it has failed to keep up with everything else around it.
If you’re still clinging to your retro classic, there’s a way to bring it forward to the modern age. A company called Ollie Watch has debuted an upgrade for one of six models of Casio wristwatch from days gone by that adds smartwatch functionality. The best part? Anyone who can operate a screwdriver can perform the upgrade.
That’s a smart Casio
The hardware replacement swaps out the internals of a compatible Casio wristwatch with something altogether smarter. Bluetooth support, step tracking, a customisable backlight, and app communication (which also automatically sets the time on your wrist) are all added with the DIY upgrade. Its creators reckon the whole process takes just ten minutes, using small Philips and flat screwdrivers, plus a pair of tweezers.
Of course, securing the upgrade — the Ollie Watch One — will cost significantly more than purchasing a new version of one of the supported watches. The main board replacement, which can be dropped into the case of a FR-F91W, A158W, F-84W, A159W, A171W, or W-59, will set retro fans back R960 before shipping the upgrade over from Canada.
The company also sells (or rather, sold) a pre-upgraded Casio F-91W-1 or A158W-1 wristwatch for R1,750, but these have all sold out. Even the DIY kits now have a substantial delay, though it’ll ship to South Africa if you hand over R1,125 today. How much SARS will charge you once it arrives will depend on your Customs agent.
