How to Set the Alarm on a Calculator Watch | Buttons That Actually Work

Setting a calculator watch alarm means entering Alarm Mode, holding the adjust button until the hour flashes, then setting the hour and minute.

Casio’s manuals describe the same alarm sequence across dozens of modules, but the button letters on the case differ from model to model. Finding your module number first saves you from following instructions for a different watch.

The Four-Step Alarm Sequence

The alarm lives in Alarm Mode on every Casio calculator watch with a beeper, and the setting screen opens from a long press — not a tap. Short presses only scroll.

1. Press the Mode button until the display shows AL1, or -1 on some modules. Watch for an alarm icon or the letters AL beside the time.
2. Press Mode again to scroll through the other slots. Modules typically hold five alarms, labeled AL1 through AL5.
3. Hold the adjust button — labeled A or D on the case — for at least two seconds. The hour digits flash to confirm you’re in the setting screen.
4. Use the plus and minus buttons to change the hour, press C or E to move to the minutes, then set those the same way.
5. Press the adjust button once to lock in your time.

Every step comes from Casio’s official module guides, including modules 5737 and 5744. The hour-flashing cue confirms the hold registered.

Watch Out: The Alarm Isn’t On Yet

Casio’s manuals are clear that the alarm will not sound unless its indicator appears on the display, and the indicator only shows after you turn the alarm on. You can set the hour, press adjust to finish, and walk away — the time is stored, but the alarm is off by default. Most modules have you press a dedicated toggle, often the same adjust button pressed again in Alarm Mode, to flip the indicator on. Look for a small bell or alarm mark near the top of the display.

Why Nothing Happened

• The alarm is off. No indicator, no beep.
• The battery is low. The beeper may not sound when power runs down, even if the screen looks fine.
• You left the setting screen idle too long.
• You used the wrong module manual. Button letters shift between the 5737, 5744, and 3565 modules.

Once the beeper fires, pressing any button stops it.

Before You Start: Find Your Module Number

Casio stamps a four-digit module number on the case back. The official module 5737 alarm instructions show the lettered-button system Casio uses across its manuals. Flip the watch over, find the engraved number in a box, then pull that module’s guide. If you’re deciding which model to buy, this tested roundup of alarm calculator watches lays out the differences side by side. The topic comes up in Gadgets Feed coverage.

Some newer Casio watches pair with a phone through the CASIO WATCHES app, letting you set alarms on-screen and sync them. That only works on Bluetooth models; older data-bank styles stay button-only.

Do All Calculator Watches Use Five Alarms?

No. Five alarms with an hourly time signal appears on several modules, but older and simpler calculator watches carry a single daily alarm. Some modules add month and day fields, while others stick to hour and minute only. Check your own module’s guide.

Set It Once, Get It Right

The procedure boils down to four moves: enter Alarm Mode, hold the adjust button until the hour flashes, set the hour and minute, then confirm the alarm is switched on. The last part is the one people skip. Grab your module number, follow that module’s button letters, and check the indicator before you put the watch back on.