Tech Casio’s $600 lacquerware calculator sold out despite hefty price tag

If you're looking for a classy gift from Japan, here it is:

When Casio Computer released a premium lacquerware version of its flagship calculator last month, many major electronics retailers sold out online within a little over a week, despite the price. The Japanese Lacquer Edition of the company's S100X calculator sells for ¥99,000 ($633). Casio says it is targeting business customers seeking high-end gifts or souvenirs rather than for ordinary office use. Only 650 units were released worldwide in early April.


The move comes at a time when standalone calculators face pressure from smartphones and other devices. Casio, however, appears to be looking for buyers in different places now, including department stores and upscale stationery shops. The standard S100X is already positioned as a premium product. It is assembled at the company's factory in Yamagata Prefecture and marketed under the made-in-Japan craftsmanship brand; even the regular version costs just under ¥40,000, which is high for a calculator.

For the lacquer edition, the finishing work is handled by Yamakyu Japanware in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture. The work is overseen by master craftsman Takaji Umeda, who reportedly applies most of the lacquer coats himself. Each calculator takes around a month to complete. Every layer of lacquer is applied by hand, one coat at a time.

Sales have been "better than anticipated," according to a Casio representative. Demand comes mainly from businesspeople giving the calculators as gifts, but accountants use them as well, the company said. The announcement of the limited lacquer edition has spurred overall sales of the S100X to rise by 50%. This is not Casio's first foray into design-conscious products to be given as gifts. In January, it released a special edition of another calculator featuring famed prints from the "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" series by woodblock master Katsushika Hokusai, geared toward foreign tourists. While the 5,500 yen price tag on Casio's online store is high for a regular calculator, in the first month after its release the woodblock edition sold around twice as many units as the base edition. The image seamlessly covers the tops of the keys as well, which the company says was a challenge.

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My brother collects calculators (). Although Sinclair is his preferred brand he does have a collection of Texas Instruments, Casio and IBM. He wasn't that enamored by this edition to be honest. The one he's after that I had as a kid is the Casio FX48 credit card sized scientific calculator in mint condition.

Clive Sinclair once contacted my brother to ask if he could borrow one of his collection since he didn't have one