Casio's new affordable sapphire-crystal equipped chronographs on their way

In another brand-new leak (courtesy of Casioblog), Casio is launching new watches within its Beside series as a part of the BMS-500 collection. This is a classic-looking chronograph lineup expected to launch in June 2026. The BMS-500 follows the BMS-100 and BMS-300 series. Reports state that it has a more capable module than its predecessors.

Four variants are launching at the same time: the Casio BMS-500D-1A and Casio BMS-500D-7A on a stainless-steel bracelet, and the BMS-500L-1A and BMS-500L-7A on a leather strap. The suffix indicates the dial color — 1A for black, 7A for white. One major design distinction between the bracelet and strap versions is the sub-dial treatment: on the leather models, the sub-dials are rendered in a contrasting color against the main dial background.

The dial layout features Roman numeral hour markers, with the 4 o'clock position using the traditional watchmaking notation "IIII" rather than "IV." Chronograph sub-dials sit at 9 o'clock (60-minute counter) and at a secondary position showing 24-hour time, with the main seconds hand tracking elapsed time during stopwatch operation. A date window is also present.

Casioblog adds that the case measures 48.0 × 43.6 × 10.8 mm in stainless steel, with reinforced lugs on both bracelet and strap configurations. Water resistance is rated at 50 meters. The movement delivers ±20 seconds per month accuracy, and the battery is rated for approximately five years.

The most noteworthy specification for this price tier is the sapphire crystal, which is somewhat uncommon at this segment. Interested buyers will be glad to find that this feature is shared across all four BMS-500 variants. Pricing is expected to start at around $70 for the leather-strap models and go up to $120 for the bracelet versions.

No global availability details have been confirmed yet beyond the June 2026 Japan launch window.

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