Casio’s new $600 calculator is a work of art

The S100X features a Japanese lacquer finish that takes a month to apply by hand.The S100X features a Japanese lacquer finish that takes a month to apply by hand.If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.Can a basic calculator with an old-school segmented LCD screen be beautiful? Casio’s response to that question is its new S100X featuring a traditional Japanese hand-painted finish using sap from the lacquer tree, giving the calculator a glossy black finish with warm red highlights around the edges. It somehow looks even more luxurious than if Casio had simply gold-plated the S100X.Casio enlisted Yamakyu Shitsuki, a Japanese company that’s been making lacquerware since 1930, to give the calculator’s milled aluminum alloy body the unique finish. It took master artisan Ryuji Umeda a month to complete the lacquering technique, according to Hypebeast. That’s why the Casio S100X is being limited to just 650 units worldwide and is priced at ¥99,000, or around $624.While it’s not an advanced calculator by any means, the S100X does include both currency conversion and tax calculation functionality alongside a wide 12-digit display tinted blue to match fountain pen ink. It’s powered by a built-in solar panel and a single coin battery Casio says should keep it running for up to seven years with around an hour of use every day.A free daily digest of the news that matters most.This is the title for the native ad