If you have ever wished for a seat in a DeLorean, foot on the pedal at 88 mph, Casio has the next best thing on your wrist. The Japanese maker has released a limited-edition CA-500WEBF calculator watch, built as a loving salute to the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future.
It lands at £115 (around $150 USD), a price that keeps the fun within reach. This is more than a timepiece; it is a spark for one of film’s most enduring favourites.
Cast your mind back to 3 July 1985. Universal Pictures launched Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future, a sharp mix of teen comedy, wild science, and plutonium-fuelled mischief. Michael J. Fox charmed as Marty McFly, with Christopher Lloyd blazing as Doc Brown.
The film earned close to $400 million worldwide, then spawned two sequels that sealed its place in pop culture. Hoverboards, the flux capacitor, and that Huey Lewis hook became shorthand for 80s cool. Among the iconic props, one quiet star stood out on Marty’s wrist, a Casio calculator watch.
The original Casio CA-53, worn by Fox throughout the trilogy, was more than set dressing. It captured the era’s love for clever gadgets, part watch, part pocket calculator for fast sums in frantic moments.
Casio Back to the Future Watch
Casio had led affordable digital watches since the 1970s, and fans rushed to copy McFly’s look. Four decades on, the brand channels that charge into the CA-500WEBF, a fresh twist on the classic CA-500 series.
This is not a cynical movie tie-in. It is a careful collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E). “Back to the Future holds a special place with us at Casio,” says Warren Halliwell, senior marketing campaign manager for Casio UK.
“Being part of the iconic trilogy from the start in 1985, it’s our great privilege to celebrate 40 years since Marty first laid eyes on the DeLorean.” He calls it a “real passion project,” and the craft backs him up.
At a glance, the CA-500WEBF looks ready for Doc Brown’s workbench. The polished silver stainless steel case has the same cool sheen as a DeLorean, with hints of gull-wing drama in the geometry and finish.
The dial reads like a dashboard tribute, with cues from the car’s red taillights and the famous OUTATIME plate that winked during the finale.
The eight-digit calculator keypad pops with colour, using reds, blues, and greens that echo the glowing time circuits for 1955, 1985, and 2015. Tap out a quick sum, and you can almost picture date codes on the screen.
Back to the Future Buckle Logo
Turn it over for a deeper easter egg. The caseback carries a crisp engraving of the flux capacitor, the Y-shaped core of time travel in the films. “It’s the heart of the time travel,” Halliwell explains, “reimagined as a stunning tribute.”
The buckle bears the Back to the Future logo, a neat nod for collectors who love the small stuff. The watch sits on a durable resin strap, and the 42 mm case keeps it light for daily wear, or for a weekend of cosplay.
The features are classic Casio, steady and practical. The eight-digit calculator covers basic maths with tactile button presses that feel right. Dual time lets you follow Hill Valley hours and your local time at one glance.
A stopwatch, an hourly signal, and a calendar that reaches 2099 add useful tools for daily life. There is 30 metres of water resistance, fine for rain or splashes, but not for swimming. A CR2016 battery powers the watch for up to five years, which is plenty for most wrists.
Even the packaging leans into the tribute. Skip dull cardboard; this arrives inside a faux VHS cassette box, marked with scuffed rental-style stickers for a proper video shop vibe. “It’s a nod to how so many fans first discovered the film,” Halliwell notes, summoning memories of rewinds and late-night marathons.
Casio Limited-Edition CA-500WEBF
Production is limited, although Casio has not shared exact numbers. Expect a swift sell-out based on the chatter. It goes live today, 21 October, known to fans as Back to the Future Day, the date Marty and Doc visited in Part II. You can order from Casio’s webstore in select regions, including the UK, US, and Japan.
The moment suits the message. In a time where smartwatches ping with every alert, the CA-500WEBF keeps things simple, with a charming mix of analogue-digital basics. It slots neatly into Casio’s vintage revival, following tie-ups with Stranger Things, PAC-MAN, and Transformers that turned retro favourites into fresh hits.
Collectors are already excited. “Pure nostalgia, taking a lot of people back to their childhoods,” says Neil George, a vintage Casio fan. “Small but noticeable nods to the movie— it’ll sell out fast.” Andy McIntyre agrees. “Double the nostalgia and the excuse to relive the ’80s. Awesome movie details on the classic I wore back then.”
The watch bridges generations with ease. Gen X fans who queued in 1985 now share it with kids who met Marty through streaming and TikTok edits. At £115, it feels like accessible luxury, far from Swiss status pieces, but much nicer than a bargain-bin digital. “It’s more than a watch,” George says. “It’s a wearable time capsule.”
Back to the Future keeps rolling, with talk of stage shows and new merch never far away. Casio’s CA-500WEBF shows why the story lasts. When the world races ahead, a glance back can be the smartest move. Strap it on, set your date, and enjoy the ride. Great Scott.
