Gallery: New Takes on Old Faces With 7 Eccentric Watches
01full-metal-jacket
Styles and technologies change, but whatever we use to tell time, most people consider the wrist a sacrosanct spot reserved for a timepiece. Watchmakers use old and new mechanics to perform the age-old task of measuring the passage of time. You don't see many folks wearing a sundial these days, but people still embrace almost every other means of keeping time, from old-school mechanical watches to the latest gadgets using e-ink and microstep motors. Here are seven Wired watches that make dime-store digitals look staid. Oakley Elite Full Metal Jacket ------------------------------ Can't decide to put a watch on your wrist or in your pocket? Oakley's got you covered either way with the Full Metal Jacket. It features a heavy titanium timepiece mounted in a metal band, but you can ditch the band and put the timepiece in a slick pocket watch housing. Either way, you'll be up to the second with the day, date and a chronograph. Of course, the damn thing costs as much as a nice used car, but such is the price of style. Price: $8,995 *Image: Oakley*
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03nokia-lumia-900
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06swiss-army-f
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08yurbuds-f
09lenovo-foldable-f
10huawei-phone-f
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14phosphor-e-ink-digital
Phosphor E Ink Digital ---------------------- LCD? Pfft. That's so last decade. The Phosphor displays the time with e-ink, the same stuff you'll find in a Kindle or Kobo. That means it uses less power than other watches, and the display is impervious to glare. It's also easy on the eyes. You can configure the artfully arranged digits to show the time in analog, digital or combined formats, and the curved body fits comfortably. The Phosphor can display the time in two time zones simultaneously, and it's waterproof to 160 feet. Price: $150 to $205 *Image: Phosphor*
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TokyoFlash Kisai Kaidoku ------------------------ TokyoFlash is famous for watches that are, um, different. The Kaidoku was designed by Tynan Mayhew, a 15-year-old Canadian who entered the idea in the Japanese watchmaker's design contest last year. The watch TokyoFlash produced is faithful to the watch Mayhew designed: It features a written, not numerical, display. Numerals are spelled out — Four Twenty, for example — and the current time flashes brightly while other numbers glow softly. It comes with a leather strap and has an electroluminescent backlight. We'll let you decide if the constant blinking would be a distraction. Price: $139 *Photo: TokyoFlash*
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Porsche Design P'6520 Compass Watch ----------------------------------- Lost on the winding back roads of the Black Forest? Yeah, you could check the GPS in your Porsche 911. Or you could pop open the titanium face of your Porsche Design P'6520. The watch features a removable compass that, when used with the scratch-resistant mirror and the compass’s reflective surface, can give any Boy Scout the tools to find his way home. The watch and band are titanium, so it doesn't interfere with an accurate reading. It's also super-exclusive, limited to just 911 calls, of course. The design was inspired by a watch Ferdinand Alexander Porsche made in 1978. It's waterproof up to 160 feet, which is more than can be said for your 911. Price: TBA *Image> Porsche Design*
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Devon Tread 1 ------------- The Tread is named for the 2-micron-thick conveyor belts housed within the oversize clear case. One runs horizontally, the other diagonally to count off the time. The miniscule electric motors turning the belts run off lithium polymer cells that are good for about two weeks per charge. When the battery winds down, just put the watch on the base to recharge it. No cord required. A microprocessor ensures the belts are always on time, while the polycarbonate crystal display protects the mechanics from anything short of a .50-caliber bullet. Not that we'd test that, mind you. Price: $15,000 *Image: Devon*
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Linde Werdelin's Reef --------------------- Next time you're headed for a dive, snap the Reef (pictured), a dive computer from Linde Werdelin, onto your 3 Timer watch. The 55mm transflective LCD color screen sports a sapphire crystal. That makes it tough enough to resist scratches from coral or shark's teeth. Not that the rest of you would fare so well. The computer has just four buttons, and they're large enough that even chain-mailed fingers can navigate the screen. Back on the boat, you can charge the Reef with a USB cable while uploading dive details like water temperature and depth. Price: 1,620 euro (approx. $2,330) *Image: Linde Wedelin*
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Kyocera Kokoro -------------- The Kokoro was created to allow parents to use mobile technology to keep their kids safe. It features a simple touchscreen ("Call: Mom," for example), a camera for video chat, a fingerprint reader and a heart monitor that sends readings to the parents by e-mail. Seriously. We're not making this up. The Kokoro was designed by Birgitta Salim, a student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. It's currently in development, so you'll have to wait awhile to get one. In the meantime, keep an eye on your kids or give them Jitterbugs. Price: $TBA *Image: Kyocera*
