Hasta La Gadget!

While everyone is going a bit nutty speculating about Apple’s potential iOS smartwatch, Japanese watchmakers are pumping out their own interesting watches. This one includes a sound sensor making it work like the bar graphs on a digital VU meter.

Based on a design concept by Sam Jerichow, the Tokyoflash Kisai OTO Watch allows you to read the time vertically across two centrally-located lines. The four digits on the left represent hours stacked on top of minutes, while the two digits on the right display the seconds.

Above and below the numeric displays, you’ll find the bars, which actually move based on ambient sounds. The bar graphs can be switched off if it’s too distracting, or you can also just switch off the time and just show the VU meter.

The watch comes in blue, green, red or amber LCD versions, with matching color LED  illumination. Each one is then set into a sleek black anodized aluminum case. Power is provided by a built-in USB-rechargeable battery.

The Kisai OTO watch is available for an introductory price of $99(USD) through Thursday 2/14 at 4pm Japan time, after which time, the price will increase.

Spending lots of time to tell the time seems a bit counterintuitive, and while Tokyoflash watches aren’t always easy to read, this new one is definitely worth a look, despite its complicated looking display.

The Tokyoflash Kisai Adjust has a matrix of multicolor LED triangles on its display. While it may initially look complex, the display becomes legible after a second or so. I think that if you are far-sighted, you can just take off your glasses and see the time very clearly. Still can’t make it out? Just squint, and you’ll be able to tell time with ease.

See? The display even works in both landscape or portrait modes. The triangles also can dance around in mesmerizing animation modes, and can be tailored into one of six different colors with the simple click of a button. You’ll only have to choose the black or silver bracelet. The watch is USB-rechargeable, and each charge will last you about a month.

It’s been a while since the Japanese studio produced a pure LED watch, and this design was submitted by a fan. It’s the 9th fan-submitted design to be turned into a real watch.

Through 1/23/2013, you can get the Kisai Adjust for an introductory price of $149(USD) over on Tokyoflash. After that, it will sell for the regular retail price of $179.

It almost goes without saying Tokyoflash watches aren’t always very scrutable. The company’s newly launched Kisai Adjust, however, is thankfully one of the more legible examples — as the name suggests, it even goes out of its way to accommodate the wearer. The fan-designed timepiece uses LED-lit triangles to offer the time and date in any one of six colors, including a slightly mesmerizing “candy,” with the option to display digits horizontally in those moments it’s not on a wrist. It’s USB-rechargeable, too, for those averse to wall outlets; expect about a month of dazzling (or confusing) friends between battery top-ups. Tokyoflash is selling the Kisai Adjust today, although you’ll want to buy the watch within the first 48 hours to pay $149 instead of the regular $179. Head past the break for a video that helps explain the Adjust’s changeable ways.

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Source: Tokyoflash

Here’s a timepiece that was acceptable in the ’80s. This week, Tokyoflash is channeling Elite, Tron and Tempest to create the Kisai Space Digits. Like its difficult-to-read brethren, it’s available in steel, gold or black and comes with a date, alarm, EL backlight and, most essentially, a “warp speed” animation. As usual, if you order before December 6th, it’ll set you back $99 (€77, £61), but if you can’t scrape together the cash in time, then you can pick ’em up afterwards for $129 (€100, £80). Fancy watching a tutorial on how to read the thing? Video’s after the break, space cadets.

Continue reading Tokyoflash goes all ’80s with its Space Digits watch (video)

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Source: Tokyoflash

It’s that time of the week when Tokyoflash launches another one of its charming, barely-decipherable timepieces. Except, this time out, the face is eminently readable — with the only baffling addition a ring that joins the minute and hour hands. While it’s available in black and silver, the sienna variant with its reddish-brown casing go hand-in-hand with the bracelet’s chunky stylings to make it eerily reminiscent of Tony Stark’s superhero outfit. If you’d to indulge your own arc reactor-infused fantasies, the company is selling the timepiece for $109 (€85, £68) until 2:00 AM ET Saturday, after which it’ll set you back $149 (€116, £93). If you want to take a moment to see it in action before you order a cheeseburger and declare yourself Iron Man, head on past the break.

Continue reading Tokyoflash launches the Kisai Maru watch, lets you live out your Tony Stark fantasies (video)

Filed under: Wearables

Tokyoflash launches the Kisai Maru watch, lets you live out your Tony Stark fantasies (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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