Casio has a habit of making things nobody asked for and then making them weirdly interesting. The CRW-H001 is the latest example. It started as a novelty finger-watch and has now become a full health tracker.
If you missed the original Casio Ring Watch from late 2024, it was exactly what it sounded like. A tiny Casio digital watch you wear on your finger. LCD screen, stopwatch, alarm, the works. It was quirky, charming, and not particularly useful. People bought it because it was funny.
Now Casio packed that same form factor with sensors. The CRW-H001 still looks like a ring watch. Small LCD panel on top, retro Casio vibes intact. But underneath, it tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, body temperature, sleep, and workouts. Oura Ring meets G-Shock, basically.
What the CRW-H001 Actually Does
The feature list is more substantial than you'd expect from a ring with a 1-inch screen.
Health tracking:
- Continuous heart rate monitoring
- Blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking
- Body temperature monitoring
- Sleep tracking with recovery analysis
- Calorie burn logging
Fitness tracking:
- Running, cycling, and walking modes
- Workout history and training analysis
- Sleep recovery metrics
Watch features:
- LCD time display (still a watch, after all)
- Stopwatch
- Alarms
- Vibration motor for notifications
That is a real health tracker spec sheet. The Oura Ring 5 covers most of the same metrics. The difference is that Oura hides everything behind an app. Casio gives you a tiny screen so you can at least check the time without digging out your phone.
The Design Question
Let's talk about the elephant on your finger. This thing looks unusual. Casio did not try to make a sleek, minimalist band like Oura or Ultrahuman. They made a ring with a visible LCD display that very obviously says "I am a gadget."
Whether that works for you depends on your personality. If you wear a G-Shock and do not care about blending in, the CRW-H001 looks right. If you want your health tracker to pass as jewelry, Oura is still the play.
The ring weighs 19 grams. That is heavier than the original non-smart Ring Watch (16g) because of the sensors and battery. For context, an Oura Ring 5 comes in around 4 to 6 grams depending on size. The Casio is noticeably heavier, which could get uncomfortable for all-day wear and especially for sleep tracking.
It ships in small, medium, and large. That is an upgrade over the original Ring Watch, which came in one size with spacers.
Battery Life
Casio claims six days of normal use and 25 days on standby. Solid for a smart ring packing this many sensors. The Oura Ring 5 gets 5 to 7 days depending on usage, so Casio is in the same range.
One thing to watch: Casio says the rechargeable battery "may need to be replaced after two years." Not unusual for small lithium-ion cells, but it means the CRW-H001 is not a buy-it-once device. Since it is a sealed ring, you would probably need to send it in rather than swap the battery yourself.
Price and Availability
Here is where things get interesting. The CRW-H001 is currently only available in China at CNY 1,990, which works out to about $295. No word on a global launch.
That price matters. The Oura Ring 5 starts at $399. If Casio brings this to international markets anywhere near the current price, it undercuts Oura by over $100 with a comparable sensor setup. Plus a screen, which Oura does not have.
The original Casio Ring Watch did eventually expand beyond Japan after launching as a domestic exclusive, so there is precedent. For now, you are importing or waiting.
How It Stacks Up
| Feature | Casio CRW-H001 | Oura Ring 5 | Ultrahuman Ring Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$295 | $399 | $349 |
| Screen | Yes (LCD) | No | No |
| HR monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SpO2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life | 6 days | 5-7 days | 6 days |
| Subscription | No | $5.99/mo | No |
| Workout tracking | Yes | Limited | Limited |
The big differentiator jumps out immediately. Casio has a screen. Every other smart ring on the market forces you to your phone to check anything. Casio lets you glance at your finger for the time and basic info.
The subscription angle is just as important. Oura charges $5.99/month for most of its meaningful insights. Casio's tracking looks free, at least for now. Over two years, an Oura Ring 5 runs $399 plus $143.76 in subscription fees. That is $542.76 total. The Casio at the equivalent of $295 would be roughly half that.
Why This Is Worth Paying Attention To
The smart ring market has been copying the same playbook. Make it look like a normal ring, hide the tech, push everything to an app. Oura, Ultrahuman, Samsung's rumored ring, RingConn. All following the same template.
Casio went the other direction. The CRW-H001 leans into being a gadget. It is not pretending to be jewelry. It is a tiny wearable computer for your finger and it looks the part. In a market full of clones, that is refreshing.
The retro Casio aesthetic also carves out a niche nobody else occupies. There is a real audience for the G-Shock and retro Casio look. These are the same people who collect F-91Ws and customize them. They are out there, they care about this stuff, and they spend money on it.
Whether that audience is big enough to sustain a product is the real question. Oura sells millions by targeting mainstream health buyers. Casio is going after a narrower crowd: people who want health tracking, like the tech-forward look, and do not mind wearing something that stands out.
Does a Screen Actually Matter on a Ring?
This is the most interesting bet Casio is making. It could go either way.
The case for a screen: you check the time and basic stats without your phone. No other smart ring can do that. It also means the CRW-H001 works as an actual watch, not just a tracker. That matters for people who do not want to wear both a ring and a watch.
The case against: a tiny LCD on a ring is hard to read, awkward to interact with, and adds bulk. Oura went screenless for a reason. There is not enough room on a finger for a useful display. Casio's screen works, but barely. And it adds weight and thickness.
My guess: the screen will be the thing people either love or completely ignore. Some will use it constantly. Others will forget it is there and just open the app.
The Bottom Line
The CRW-H001 is the most interesting smart ring to land in 2026. Not because it is the best. Oura probably still wins on sensor accuracy, app polish, and comfort. But Casio is the only company trying something different.
Every other smart ring is a thin band that pipes data to an app and charges you monthly. Casio built a chunky retro gadget for your finger with a screen, no subscription, and a price that beats the competition by $100 or more.
It is not for everyone. The design is bold, the weight is real, and you can only buy it in China right now. But if you have been waiting for a smart ring that does not look like every other smart ring on the market, this is the one to watch.
If it goes global, Oura and Ultrahuman should be nervous.