Turning up the heat: Casio’s new wristwatch is specifically created for saunas

The Casio CPP-002 sauna-approved lightweight model features an innovative, water-resistant battery and comes in three color variants.

Despite its ancient foundations, the sauna is the latest hot thing. While Finland has over three million saunas, public saunas across Europe doubled between 2023 and 2024. From their beginning, saunas have been associated with their health and replenishing benefits. They are currently on the rise as a powerful antidote to our fast-paced, dopamine-addicted way of life–forcing us to be present. The new Casio CPP-002 watch is conceptualized by the brand’s very own sauna-loving employees, who rightfully noticed the lack of a timepiece suitable for extreme temperatures. It is purpose-built with enough durability to survive use in ultra-hot and ultra-humid environments.

Made from resin, Casio's CPP-002 wristwatch features a sauna and normal timer mode. Users can switch between the two in a single click. - © Casio Japan — Made from resin, The Casio CPP-002 wristwatch features a sauna and normal timer mode. Users can switch between the two in a single click. – © Casio Japan

The iconic Japanese brand’s wristwatch has a MODE pusher at 10 o’clock, which activates a 12-minute counter that is conveniently linked to the number of hour markers and lands right near the upper end of advised time spent in a sauna. The Casio CPP-002 features an advanced, heat-resistant battery that is intended to handle sauna temperatures of up to 100°C or 212°F within 15 minutes of wearing the watch on your wrist and should last roughly five years.

The watch can be worn outside the sauna as well. Its modern design renders it ideal for everyday use. - © Casio Japan — The Casio CPP-002 watch can be worn outside the sauna as well. Its modern design renders it ideal for everyday use. – © Casio Japan

With its 35.4mm-wide and 12.9mm-thick body, the Casio CPP-002 has a 40.2mm lug-to-lug height and weighs about 24.5 g. The watch is crafted using resin which doesn’t get as hot as metal does. Resin is also a moisture-resistant material. This prevents the watch from fogging up on the inside. The device has a 5 ATM rating which means it can be used in water as deep as 50 meters.

With its curled, expandable strap, the CPP-002 comes in minimalist black and two more vibrant shades. - © Casio Japan — With its curled, expandable strap, the Casio CPP-002 comes in minimalist black and two more vibrant shades. – © Casio Japan

CPP-002’s quirky visual identity–with its charming case and urethane-resin, curled, expandable strap–is inspired by a sauna timer and locker keys. The intricacies of its design also prevent heat from being transmitted to internal components sensitive to high temperatures. The watch comes in all-black and two playful shades: the CPP-002-OR in white and vibrant orange, the CPP-002-BK in elegant and minimalist black, and the CPP-002-BU with a light blue strap designed in collaboration with Saunaikitai, a popular sauna website and app.

Casio’s innovative, heat-resistant battery can handle sauna temperatures of up to 100°C or 212°F and should last roughly five years. - © Casio Japan — Casio CPP-002’s innovative, heat-resistant battery can handle sauna temperatures of up to 100°C or 212°F and should last roughly five years. – © Casio Japan

Currently available only in Japan, Casio started its crowdfunding for CPP-002 on the Japanese platform Makuake in early December of 2024 with a volume of 2,300 pieces made available. The campaign is set to run for three months with delivery expected in late June 2025. As an unconventional watch project, CPP-002 was shaped as a bottom-up proposal by individual employees through Casio’s BP (Idea Booster Program) system. Crowdfunding was chosen as a means to test to see if the watch’s value would be accepted by the market. Unsurprisingly, the company blew past its fundraising goal with 1,288% raised on the very first day, and all the initial 2,300 pieces are spoken for. A wide launch is expected soon enough.

An ancient Finnish proverb states “If tar, vodka, or the sauna won’t help, then the disease is fatal.” Presumably, the earliest Western saunas were built in Finnish forests 10,000 years ago, originally structured as pits in the ground filled with heated stones, offering warmth during extremely cold winters. Saunas later moved above ground and were considered the most sacred place in the home. Now, saunas provide an alternative place to disconnect and recenter. It seems more than fair to indulge in Casio’s ultimate sauna accessory and elevate the experience even more.