WITness wrist watch

Another very funky wrist watch has recently been released to the market. Designed by Hay Heun, this watch takes its inspiration from a time gone by, when sun dials were the time pieces of the moment. This watch is called the WITness watch and although given a modern twist, is very reminiscent of a sun dial. It does not however actually need the sun to offer the time and instead works using radial bars.

The watch consists of 2 dials, an outer dial and an inner dial. The outer dial represents the minute hand, and the inner dial represents the hour hand. The dials both consist of radial bars, and when one bar is absent, the correct hour or minute is represented. So all the wearer has to do is look at the face and see where the break in the radial bars of both the outer and inner dials are to get the time. It may sound a little complicated, but it isn’t really!

If sun dial inspired watches are not for you however, you should have a look at our selection at ZG Watches. We have all the classic makes and models from Seiko to Casio to other designer brands. We offer some of the best rates found anywhere on the web, as we work hard to keep our overheads down so we can pass on the savings to our customers. If there is a particular watch you cannot find on our site, like for example the WITness watch (!) then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, as we may be able to source it for you.

Would any of you be interested in the new Hay Heun sun dial watch? Do you like wacky wrist watches or are you more traditional? Send in your comments below.

Totally unique clocks and watches

You really think you’ve seen it all, but then a new watch or clock design will come out which will be so unlike anything you’ve seen before. Then you really think you’ve seen it all but it happens again!

Take Thorunn Arnadottir’s bead clock for example. This extraordinary time piece resembles a string of beads. It sits over a wheel which turns slowly. Each bead represents 5 minutes, and as the wheel turns, a bead will fall down the sting and thus present the time. To make things a little easier and to save counting all the beads, there is a gold bead for midday and a silver bead for midnight. So to tell the time you simply count from the gold and silver bead. This ingenious design can be worn as a very nice ad stylish necklace too! The Icelandic designer designed this clock to create a more “emotional” perception of time. Removing the beads from the wheel can express freedom and wearing it around your neck symbolizes control over your minutes.

Or how about Matthias Lange who has developed a alarm clock designed to be bashed. It is only in the prototype stages at the moment, but the design has appropriately been called “Smash.” To stop it ringing you have to give this egg like clock a good bash. The reason for this? Lange wanted to design something that displayed its daily usage through visual deformation - in today’s world, things either break or are replaced before genuine wear and tear shows through.

No doubt there will be a host of other extraordinary designs for clocks, alarms and watches in the months and years to come. It is interesting to wonder what they might come up with next! Meanwhile you can find a whole host of watch designs and makes on our website www.zgwatches.co.uk. If there is one you particularly want but cannot find (bead clock anyone?) then you can let us know and we will source it for you, passing along our excellent discounts of course.

If anyone has come across any other unusual watch or clock designs, send in your comments below.

Solar Powered Watches

Casio amongst other watch makers have got a range of eco-friendly watches. Powered by converting light (both natural from the sun and even artificial from light bulbs) into energy, these Casio watches never need a battery to work and hence are better and safer for the environment.

Each watch has a small solar panel contained within it that is very effective and will keep your watch running for a long time. When fully charged, a solar powered watch could last for up to 5 months without ever seeing the light of day again. They run very efficiently and if their energy does start to fade there is a mechanism that provides a warning. Rather than simply losing time, the watches will shut off various functions if running low on energy and will just turn off altogether if completely out.

Even the Casio G Shock range work using this form of solar technology. With all the additional functions a G Shock watch has such as thermometers, barometers and stop watches to name but a few, the solar panel would have to work effectively to keep it going. You can therefore be reassured that it is a safe and effective method.

Whilst of course a solar powered watch won’t exactly stop the melting of the polar ice caps in their tracks, particularly when you think of the energy used in order to make the watch in the first place, it must be said that having a watch that doesn’t require a battery or winding is a benefit and a real time and hassle saver!