Hasta La Gadget!

Forget the fact that this thing is bulletproof or that its internal battery is recharged wirelessly, just look at it. Built around an array of four microstep motors — each driving one of an interwoven quartet of time belts — the Devon Works Tread 1 creates a veritable visual symphony of precise motion to accompany the typically mundane task of checking the time. The watch was designed with the help of a Californian aerospace engineering company, which should go some way to justifying its $15,000 asking price. The rest of that justification will have to come from the “oohs” and “aahs” you incite in stupefied onlookers. Go past the break to see the promo video, it achieves rare heights of machismo that are not to be missed.

Continue reading Devon Works Tread 1 is the bulletproof Droid of wristwatches (video)

Devon Works Tread 1 is the bulletproof Droid of wristwatches (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An M9 it ain’t, but Leica‘s latest still might tickle the fancy of those who see value in paying for that cute red logo. If the image above and details linked down there in the source are to be believed, the V-Lux 20 will be launching in five short days, bringing with it a 3-inch rear LCD, 25mm to 300mm zoom range, integrated GPS and price of nearly €549 ($744). The tough news is that this thing is based around Panasonic’s ZS-7, which can be had right now for under $400, so it’s hard to say how much value you’ll get in paying more for Leica’s variant. If all goes well, it’s rumored to be in stores by May 9th, sitting right alongside the ultra affordable leather case (€99) and extra battery (€69).

Update: Now even Leica is saying some “fresh” camera news is on the way. Boom.

Leica V-Lux 20 gets leaked with (nearly) reasonable price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, folks, what you are looking at is perhaps the world’s most overly complex cellphone, and it has been given an overly complex name to match: the Celsius X VI II LEDIX. All those Roman numerals don’t convey the sense of power you’ll feel in holding this to the side of your face while yelling at your assistant in a futile attempt at gaining the respect of your peers. Despite the phone quite naturally having a battery inside, the (soon to be broken) watch mechanism is purely mechanical, given another three hours of life each time you open and close this clamshell. Inside you can gaze at a design straight out of 1998 and functionality not much more advanced — a simple browser, text messaging, and tri-band GSM. 3G isn’t even on offer here folks, but when you’re this rich you can pay other people to download high-res lolcat pictures for you.

Celsius X VI II LEDIX, the $300k tourbillon dumbphone, gets handled originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s a distinguished person of taste and refinement to do when smartphones nowadays are all so bulky and, well, ubiquitous? He or she should go take a look at Vertu‘s store, of course, which has today been populated for the first time with a new, even more exclusive Signature collection, composed of four models — one for each season. There’s a load of talk about delicate hand-crafting and latest technology with these, but the truth of the matter is that you’ll be buying one solely for the purpose of puling it out of your carefully pressed, kerchiefed Armani suit in the hope of impressing any and all nearby members of the opposite sex. What this phone will then say, nay, scream, about you is that you have the money to buy things that are neither functional nor physically appealing — the surest way to signal wealth and prestige. How much money? Try a million Yen for each handset, which roughly translates to $10,830.

Update: Our sage readers have noted a failure in our machine-translated pricing. The handsets in fact cost 20 million Yen a piece, which equates to $216,600. So sorry to have misled you if you were heading off to the bank to get that 10 grand.

Vertu reminds us it’s still alive with million-Yen phones, still tasteless as ever originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You might think, given our recent bout of attentiveness toward wristwear, that we’re starting to develop an Enwatchet subsection, but that’s not entirely accurate. It’s just that when we come across such wild and quirky designs, there’s nothing to be done but share them with the world. Case in point: the Cabestan Nostromo watch, inspired by the ship from the Alien movie. In the words of its own designers, the Nostromo combines traditional watchmaking with “retro-futuristic audacity,” and when we gaze upon its exposed vertical mechanics, we can’t exactly argue otherwise. With a titanium case, Superluminova phosphorescent coating for dusky situations, and side windows (see them after the break), this is as appealing a watch as any geek can dare to imagine. Sure, you could probably buy a sports car for less than the 150,000 Swiss Francs ($141,400 in American currency) asking price, but it’s not like you can strap a Porsche to your wrist, now is it?

Continue reading Cabestan’s Nostromo watch is geared for success

Cabestan’s Nostromo watch is geared for success originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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