Japan gets cryptic timepiece
Looks great, but does it tell the time?
Wrist watches that display the time using LED arrangements are nothing new, but this latest version from Japanese manufacturer Tokyoflash is so bonkers that even Stephen Hawking would have trouble working out how many minutes past four it is.
LED colour groupings indicate the time. Apparently
According to Tokyoflash, the Infection wrist watch features “a creatively designed full face, mirrored lens and an innovative way to view time”. But, in reality, the timepiece is a mess of red, yellow and green LEDs that display the time through groups of each colour.
Twelve red LEDs indicate the hour, eleven yellow LEDs represent groups of four minutes, and four green LEDs show single minutes. Confused? You will be. Just image someone in the street asking you for the time.
“It’s... er... um... 12... no... 11:79. No, hang on a minute, that’s not right...”
Mr Wolf was late for his dinnertime appointment
Still, if you like walking around with LEDs on your wrist and use the clock on your mobile phone to tell the time, then we guess the Infection wrist watch is perfect. You can pick up the watch online for around £68 (€90/$140).
COMMENTS
Telling the Time
Thing is, when I look at my watch, I'm not really looking at what time it is. You glance at it and know how much time has passed, or how long it is until whatever you have to do at 4pm, but you don't register what the time actually is. Many times I've glanced at my watch, been happy with what it's told me, had someone ask what the time is, and had to take a second, longer look to be able to tell them. This is why I can't get on with digital watches, the numbers don't show the relationship between different times like the hands on an analogue watch do. So this would be much, much worse, you can't even tell what the time is now by glancing at it, let alone the relationship between what the time is now and when your next appointment is.
Having said that, it is quite cool, and telling the time isn't too hard with it. I wouldn't use it though, apart from maybe for confusing people with!
That can't be right, can it?
"eleven yellow LEDs represent groups of four minutes, and four green LEDs show single minutes"
Surely that would mean it can't ever register a time where the minutes are greater than 49? I think the yellow LEDs must represent 5 minutes intervals rather than 4 which cover the full 59 minutes and that also makes it a lot easier to work out.
That make is 10:46 and 3:59 by the way.
Strange Time Piece
I think by the time you figure out how exactly to tell the time with this you'll be late.
Think ahead
WIth a little training, you can do this in under a minute, so just add a minute to the time you calculate and, by the time you say it, you'll be near as dammit right!
Then again, after using this for some time, would you be able to read a normal watch?
Bracken Dawson
Yeah - but by the time you'd worked it out it would have been 10:39 and 4:01!
But I just want to see Paris using one...
