Gizmodo: timepieces

A Cylon Mated with KITT, and Out Popped This MK 2 Circuit Watch

Jack Loftus — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Worthy of a sultry Number Six, but priced at a more commonfolk level, the MK 2 Circuit watch from Storm of London is one of those rare gadgety watches that actually displays the time in a meaningful manner.

There's no chronograph, or really anything else other than time and date, but it's got a slick look that can no doubt be read in the dark, in a black Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am, or in the blackness of deep space amongst the gods.

A somewhat hefty $200 and this new release is yours. [Storm London (USA site) via CrunchGear]

New Phosphor Watches Feature Curved E-Ink Displays and Non-Nerdy Style

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:30:00 EDT

When I hear the phrase "e-ink watch," I feel like the product will be totally unwearable for anyone not wanting to be instantly branded a dork. But the new Phosphor line gets legitimate style points.

Much less conservative than Phosphor's previous line, these watches have a cool kind of bold newsprint look to them, really using the retro-future style of e-ink at its best. They might be clunky on someone with svelte, girlish wrists (stop looking at my wrists), but if you like that oversized trend, these are worth a look. They're all in the sub-$200 range, and available now. [Phosphor via Engadget]

Ora ilLegale Clock Really Looks Forward to Daylight Savings

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT

The Ora ilLegale clock tips to one side for an excessively elegant solution to the minutely irritating problem of daylight savings time, but it has to eliminate all its numbers to do so.

Designed by Denis Guidone, the minimalistic wood clock will actually be produced, by NAVA, and will be displayed at Milan Design Week (and in a year or two, at the MoMA store). [Yanko Design]

This Is Like the Millionth Tokyoflash Watch, but I Still Love It

Adrian Covert — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EDT

At some point, Tokyoflash watches will lose their charm altogether on account of oversaturation in an already niche market. Until then, we can admire their Hanko watch, which I can't seem to pull my eyes away from.

Maybe it's the fact that the watch face is vaguely reminiscent of Space Invaders. Maybe it's the not-too-crazy, not-too-boring design. Or maybe its the bright colors calling out to my ADHD-addled mind. Either way, I like it. And it's only $100 too, which isn't shabby by Tokyoflash standards. [Tokyoflash via Geekologie]

Watchmaker Ulysse Nardin Creates Smartphone Juiced Up by Kinetic Energy

Adrian Covert — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:20:00 EST

Is it a watch? Is it a phone? Well it's mostly a smartphone, but Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin's Chairman watch employs some of the same kinetic energy tech used to power timepieces.

Designed in conjunction with SCI Innovators, this "inherently green" smartphone will ship unlocked and apparently will feature "several components never seen before in a smart phone," whatever that means. Other details are under wraps until the Chairman is officially unveiled at the Baselworld watch expo later this month, but gotdamn does it look nice. [Time Zone]

QuantumGravity Watch Defies Laws of Physics, Logic

Sean Fallon — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:40:00 EST

To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking at here. But, the manufacturer assures us that it is a watch—a watch that can defy "all laws, including that of logic and most of all, of gravity."

Tourbillion watches, like this one, are able to tell time with extreme accuracy because its escapement and balance wheel is mounted inside a rotating cage—allowing it to counteract the forces of gravity. So, by claiming that it can defy the laws of gravity, they are basically hyping a technology that has been around since the late 18th century. Nonetheless, the inner workings of this watch look pretty damn awesome, although I haven't the faintest idea how you will tell time with it when the final product is released in March. [Watchluxus via DVICE via OhGizmo]

Alarm Clock Hack Automates Window Blinds So You Rise and Shine

Kit Eaton — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:23:23 EST

Mods don't get much simpler and more useful than this: It's an alarm clock that whisks open some window blinds when the alarm goes off, so the sun can tempt you out of bed. There's a microcontroller to handle detecting the alarm signal and to drive a servo wired into the blinds, and some switches to override the alarm and open or close the blinds on command. Check the video of it in action.

Looks great, but frankly you'd need to wire a giant servo to my feet to drag me out of bed rather than use hack like this, but YMMV. [Hackaday]

Esc Key Alarm Clock Won't Let You Escape The Daily Drudge

Kit Eaton — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:49:40 EST

This concept alarm is simple, but self-contradictory: shaped like a giant Esc key, you mash it with a fist to deactivate it, and it wirelessly communicates to a dock to (presumably) turn off the sound. But, it won't let you escape the inevitable requirement of exiting the bed and getting to that early morning meeting at work. Still, there's something satisfying about thumping a giant computer key for an alarm. [DesignLaunches]

Wonderfully 80s Boombox Wristwatch Doesn't Play Music

Jack Loftus — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST

I was all amped up for this little boombox watch until I got to the last sentence over at technabob. "I only wish the tiny little speakers actually worked," they wrote, at which I wept a little because part of me wanted to relive the smashing acid wash 80s in whatever way I could. I can't lift massive boomboxes onto my shoulder like I used to, but this little guy would have been the next best thing. That and if Kid n' Play spontaneously appeared on my shoulder to serve as blogging muse for the evening. Silver or gunmetal for $90. The awesome memories are free. [Flud via technabob]

Nooka Zon Watch Dots The Time Away

Kit Eaton — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

The Zon is the latest in Nooka's line of variously confusing and interesting (for a given value of beauty) timepieces: Its 35 x 45mm dot-matrix display either displays the minutes of the day dotting into nothingness like a digital egg-timer that's counting down until tomorrow, or a proper numeric time readout. It also has a list of cities and timezones for travelling, and it'll come in white or black, or a mirror-like display for extra confusion. Due next week for $650. [LikeCool]

Cycle Life Watch Concept Charts Your Life Draining Away In Daily Drudgery

Kit Eaton — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:58:15 EST

Here's a bit of tech that'll cast a wonderful air of doom and gloom over your morning breakfast cereal: The Cycle Life watch charts your progress through the boring average day's drudgery. It begins cheerfully with "wake up!" but then the rest of your productive, vividly personal, exciting daily life is reduced to displays for "Car, PC, Car, TV, Go to Sleep!" Totally reminds me of a French slang saying about daily tediousness "Métro, boulot, dodo, Métro boulot..." travel, work, home, travel, work... At least the watch also has a real time display so you can see exactly how much closer to death you're getting. A concept, but a darkly delicious one. [Yanko]

Hiranao Tsuboi Minimalist LED Watch is, Sadly, Just a Concept

Jack Loftus — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST

There's minimalism, and then there's this LED concept watch from Hiranao Tsuboi at design firm 100%. The LED lights forgo the need for a watch face by being interwoven with the links on the wristband. The look is sleek, and unlike many concept timepieces these days, I can actually tell the time. [Design Boom]

Philippe Stark Crystal Clear Watch: Cherry-Colored Wrist Candy

Sean Fallon — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:40:00 EDT

If you haven't ditched the good old fashioned wristwatch for the cellphone clock yet, Philippe Stark would like to reward your loyalty with this beautiful Crystal Clear Watch. While it may not be "clear," the watch does feature a bright red crystal display that looks so good you may be tempted to lick it to see if it tastes like cherries. Not surprisingly, the watch is being sold through Fossil, and the price is a fairly reasonable $125. [Fossil via Geeky Gadgets via Dvice]

Quiksilver's The Ray Watch is Confusing, But Eco-Friendly

Kit Eaton — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:05:00 EDT

All those confusing-display watches from Tokyo flash have nothing on the impeccable eco-credentials of Quiksilver's upcoming watch. The Ray is analog with a 27-jewel movement, though its display is unusual and looks like it'd take a while to get used to... but it's shipped in eco-friendly packaging by ship rather than by air (saving on CO2 emissions) and is made of largely recyclable materials. That's stuff like wood, stainless steel, aluminum, and mineral glass, and though I'm not sure it's the "world's first eco-friendly timepiece" it certainly sounds like a good idea. You'll probably have to be a rich eco-warrior to have one though: it's a limited run of 1,000 pieces, and the price is still to be announced. [Acquiremag]

Suunto X10 GPS Watch is Basically Perfect for Tomb Raiding

Kit Eaton — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EDT

Suunto has just added to its range of GPS watches with the new X10, but this gizmo doesn't just do navigation and time-telling. It's also got an altimeter function, barometer, digital compass and thermometer: Exactly the sort of equipment any self-respecting real tomb raider would find darn useful.

Even better, the X10 has an improved GPS reception for tracking in difficult locations, like under heavy foliage in the rainforest. It's also got a track-back function so you can retrace your steps if you're lost, and 33% more battery life than the previous X9i generation. It also live-records routes and waypoints, so you can pinpoint on your PC later where that ancient undiscovered ruined temple really was, and it charges/connects over USB.

Available in two colors in September, though there's no info on price. [Navigadget]

Spy Camera Watch Looks Like it May Actually Be Good For Spying

Kit Eaton — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EDT

Forget those naff spy pens: This spy camera watch from Brando may actually be a decent spying gizmo. For example... can you see the camera in the photo of it? It's in the whorl of the numeral 2, and the watch is pretty convincing. It only shoots 352 x 288 pixel AVIs, but it does carry 2GB aboard, so that should be good for a whole bunch of sneaky vids, and its rechargeable batteries get juice from a USB connection. Just cover up that USB port with a sticker or plug of some kind so it's less obvious, and spy away. Presumably it also tells the time, but that's curiously not mentioned on Brando's web page. Yours for $236. [Brando]

Scope Clock Puts The Cathode Ray Tube Back in Time-Telling

Kit Eaton — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:35:00 EDT

This is the Scope Clock, from designer David Forbes, and if you're into retro-tech chic gadgets, this thing will beat any nixie clock hands down. Just look at it: a cathode ray tube encased in acrylic, with GPS time automagically captured for accuracy, and the ability to display digital or analog clock faces. It's fabulous, and its rear-end is jammed with controls you'd never have thought to see on a clock: an astigmatism knob, anyone? This is the prototype, but there's a limited-edition version to go on sale soon, at a respectably high $999. [Cathode Corner via Gizmo Watch via DVice]

Shape Up Alarm Clock Dumbbell Won't Shut up 'Til You Do 30 Reps

Kit Eaton — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Shape Up from Fred and Friends is one of those bullying-style digital alarm clocks, designed to force you awake. It's shaped like a mini dumbbell and won't stop buzzing until you do 30 reps. This would not get me out of bed in the AM, nossir. But it might make me smile. Smile happily as I grip its conveniently throwable shape and fling it heartily out of the window into the garden, and slip back to sleep. There's no info on price or availability, you may be pleased to know. [OhGizmo]

Caterpillar Watch Crawls 'Round Your Wrist to Tell Time

Kit Eaton — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:58:00 EDT

With timepieces embedded into every electronic gizmo nowadays, the humble wristwatch is on its way out, you might think. That's until you see this bizarrely cool prototype watch from designer Nicolas Lehotzky. Driven by a caterpillar-tread-alike drive, it turns the time-telling process inside out, from a virtual display into a sedate physical crawl around your wrist once every 12 hours. Brilliant! Forget the fact it looks slightly uncomfy... it's such a neat design I'd practically chop my arm off to own one, though that'd then complicate wearing it. [Gizmag]

Giant, Functioning LED Wristwatch is Actually a Table

Sean Fallon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:50:00 EDT

The aptly titled 'Big Time' table from artist Lee J Rowland is, in fact, a giant wristwatch with a programmable LED clock. It has a touch button feature like a normal watch that allows the user to switch between time, seconds and date functions. You can even program it to display an 8 letter message of your choosing. As far as the table side of things is concerned, there are also slim utility drawers hidden somewhere in there so you can store coasters, silverware and the like. The price is available upon request, so you know it won't be cheap. However, if money is no object, chrome and gold finishes are also available. [Lee J. Rowland via BookofJoe]