Casio offers one of the strangest pocket calculators in the market as The Special One, a high-contrast display with navy blue digits, is Jim Cawthonieged in a glossy black lacquered metal case with red color accents.
Whereas special editions of digital watches by Casio are a frequent occurrence, such are quite uncommon in calculators. The S100X-JC1-U is aptly named by Casio as The Special One, since this is a very peculiar pocket calculator, with only 650 units in the world. Casio manufactures the housing from aluminum.
The surface is finished in a traditional Japanese technique of hand-laquerware to produce a glossy, black surface with a special shine. The framing of every key along with the front is of red accent color. The buttons are marked in gold. The screen presents navy blue numbers on nearly white background so as to produce the greatest possible contrast – the FSTN LCD is less reflective and has a higher contrast than most pocket calculators, according to Casio, due to a double coating.
The keys have switches having a scissor mechanism, which is present in a lot of laptop keyboards. This is supposed to give a well-defined pressure point and resistance no matter whether they are pressed in the middle or at a corner. Even with very fast input, three key rollover should not overload the calculator. Casio S100X has a weight of 275 grams and a battery of CR2025 battery (costs 2.99 in Amazon 12-pack) with its battery life of seven years when using one hour per day.
Prices and availability
In Japan, the Casio S100X-JC1-U “The Special One” pocket calculator costs 99,000 yen ($630). The calculator is only restricted to 650 units. Although, the international availability is yet to be offered by Casio, direct importation through platforms like Zenmarket can take place.
