My favourite technology of 2025 is a Casio watch

I was listening to a podcast recently where the hosts were discussing their favourite technology purchases of the year.

As they listed off computers and smartphones and cameras and the like, I found myself thinking about what I would pick. Despite being someone who loves technology, my answer is something that I bet those hosts would barely even consider "technology". 

It's a watch. Not some fancy, expensive one either. It's a humble Casio I picked up earlier in the year, and it represents the kind of technology I'm most drawn to these days.

Casio makes a lot of watches, including the best-selling wristwatch of all time, but this particular Casio is one of several models in their lesser-known "Wave Ceptor" series. These watches typically share a few key attributes:

• They're solar powered, so you never need to wind them, charge them, or change their battery.
• They set themselves automatically each night via a global radio signal so they're always accurate.
• They have analog dials but include a small display that can show you the day of the week and date, a digital time readout, or another timezone.
• They include multiple alarms, world time, stopwatch, and countdown timer functions.
• You can press a button to illuminate the dial for easy visibility in the dark.
• They can withstand immersion in about 50m of water, which is considered mediocre but nevertheless means you don't have to worry about them while showering, swimming, or wandering in the rain.
• They typically cost less than $200, but if you're willing to spend a little more they also have a "Lineage" series that packages the same capabilities in nicer materials for an extra hundred or so.

What more could I ask for in a watch?

The model I bought, the WVA-M630B-1AJF, cost me a little over $100 CAD. It's one of the more affordable models in the range, and the only compromise is that it's primarily made of plastic instead of metals. After replacing the strap it came with, I ended up with a lightweight, comfortable, versatile watch that makes me happy whenever I wear it.

This is one of the few pieces of technology in my life that doesn't demand my attention. I don't have to worry about it for any reason. It's always working, always up to date, always accurate, and never disruptive. If I lose it or break it, I can replace it without hurting my wallet or worrying about what sensitive data on it might fall into the wrong hands.

This kind of thing isn't for everyone, but I'm glad companies like Casio are around to remind us that using technology doesn't have to entail convenience tradeoffs, Faustian privacy bargains, subscription fees, or brain rot. It's technology that's in your life without being in your way.

Now that I no longer own an Apple Watch, something about the simplicity of my Casios is profoundly appealing. I still wear a Garmin for tracking health metrics or when I want some of the smarts of a smartwatch, but I'm always looking for excuses to wear my Casio collection.