Gizmodo: analog digital

Digimech Clock Does Digital the Old-Fashioned Mechanical Way

Kit Eaton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:54:00 EDT

The Di Grisogono Meccanica mechano-digital watch is indeed amazing, but I'm almost as impressed with Duncan Shotton's Digimech clock (maybe it's because it looks like I could afford it). The UK designer has crafted another take on mechanical-digital timepieces, with sliding black-patterned bars that comprise the individual seven-segment displays. And actually, that description does nothing for the gizmo—you should check out the video to see it in action.

Driven by servos controlled by a PIC16F628 microcontroller, the numeral bars drop back under gravity when the final digits have been displayed. The clock carefully aligns the patterns when it's time, so the display looks a little funky from time to time. I want one, badly: it'll go well with my attempt at an all-digital apartment. [Duncan Shotton via Notcot via Technabob]

First Watch with All-Mechanical "Digital" Display (Verdict: Absolutely Amazing)

AddyDugdale — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:15:00 EDT

Looking at this limited-edition Di Grisogono Meccanica DG, you probably think it's a hybrid mechanical-digital watch. Well, chaps, you're wrong. Despite its appearance, the Meccanica DG is completely analog, comprising of 651 pieces and absolutely no digital parts or LEDs whatsoever. Video and pics after the jump.

Just 177 of these amazing timepieces are going to be made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Geneva-based horloger. Billed as the most complicated digital-analog timepiece in the world, the digital display is actually mechanical, with rolling tubes forming the digital segments. This is how it works, according to the press release.

The mechanically operated digital display of the second timezone shows tens of hours, single hours, tens of minutes and single minutes, all displayed by mobile microsegments driven by an assemblage of 23 cams connected to a set of gears and a triggering and synchronization system. The time information is displayed by an array of 23 horizontally and vertically positioned microsegments. Vertical segments are 9 mm high and weigh at most 25 milligrams while the horizontal segments measure 2.90 mm in length and weigh only 10 milligrams. The segments have four faces: two opposing visible faces fitted with colored strips and two opposing unmarked faces. Time changes are effected by 90° rotations of the required segment or segments. Involving one to twelve segments, time changes are lightning fast.

Forward to 40 seconds in to hear Fawaz Gruosi, the CEO of Di Grisogono, talk about the watch. "Some people, they say, 'Do you smoke something when you came out with the idea?'" he tells the CNN journalist. Available in four styles—red gold, titanium and gold, titanium and platinum and titanium and rubber—the Meccanica DG is waterproof to 100 feet and, presumably, is heinously expensive. [Sybarites and timezoneitalia.com and YouTube]

Fossil Analog/Digital Goes Both Ways

Jason Chen — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 14:00:40 EDT

This bi-chronical watch from Fossil has a hard time explaining exactly what it is it does to its parents thanks to its dual analog and digital face. The left side is analog, reading numbers in a vertical configuration, whereas the main chunk of the rest of the face has two hands and tells time in an analog fashion. Does this look cool? Definitely. Will you be totally confused if you accidentally change one time to be slightly off from the other? You bet. [Fossil via Fossil via Technabob]