Ryan Gosling has got some pretty nice watches these days.
Since becoming a Tag Heuer ambassador in 2021, the actor has been seen in Carreras, Monacos and some of the Swiss watchmaker’s fanciest pieces.
Rewind the clock a little further, however, and the Barbie star’s choice of wristwear was considerably more budget-friendly.
In 2010, while performing with his gothic-leaning pop band Dead Man’s Bones at FYF Fest in Los Angeles, Gosling was photographed wearing a Casio A168, the silver digital watch that has been part of Casio’s line-up for more than three decades.
Noel Vasquez
The notable thing is that you can still buy essentially the same watch, today. Amazon currently has the A168WA-1 for £34.99.
The A168 was introduced in 1995, initially with the North American market in mind.
Its distinguishing feature was its electroluminescent backlight, which illuminated the entire LCD display rather than using the small lamps found on many earlier digital watches, to the delight/ frustration of many a Reddit user.
The design has changed remarkably little since.
And the specifications are the dictionary definition of unfussy.
The current A168WA measures 38.6mm by 36.3mm and 9.6mm thick, and weighs just 50g.
The chrome-plated resin case is fitted to a stainless-steel bracelet, while the quartz movement is rated to within a thoroughly reasonable 30 seconds a month.
Its battery should last approximately seven years. Buy one today, and you’re good to 2033.
There’s also a fair amount of tech packed into it for less than £35. The A168 has a 1/100-second stopwatch, daily alarm, hourly time signal, automatic calendar, 12- and 24-hour displays, day and date, water resistance and that aforementioned full electroluminescent backlight.
The A168 has also acquired some serious design credentials along the way.
In 2011, it received a Good Design Long Life Design Award in Japan, an award recognising products whose designs have endured over time.
Perhaps the more remarkable achievement, though, is what hasn’t happened to its price – not every watch can be said to have pretty much stuck to prices from 16 years ago, when a pint of beer cost £2.80.
Gosling’s old Casio is an outlier.
It remains affordable, readily available, almost indistinguishable from the one in the photos here – as well as being a certified design classic.