The device is identical to a pocket watch with the exception of the face - it has a hinged cover glass and a dial which on a normal pocket watch would be used for winding and adjusting the time, and a chain. The face left to itself merely displays an analogue clock face with Roman numerals, black on white, but is in fact a circular touch screen display which comes to life when touched. Individual pixels are microscopic. It makes a ticking noise via the built-in speakers in this condition too. Otherwise, it is a contemporary-style mini-tablet with the usual operating system (Android presumably) and apps. The only other difference is that it has an R-theta-style pointing device in terms of the winder, which can be used to move the cursor round in a circular way, and slid in and out to move it away and towards the centre of the dial. Also, text, icons etc. are displayed in a polar coordinate-style way, with for instance the lines of text in concentric arcs when you read an ebook.-- nineteenthly, Dec 22 2013 More detail on watch chains and fobs http://www.morningd...-for-morning-dress/ [pocmloc, Dec 22 2013] Beautiful.-- Mustardface, Dec 22 2013 As a person who actually wears a pocket watch (the last occasion being 8 days ago when I wore a nice 3 piece suit), I am not sure what to make of this. My watch is a rather plain old Smiths, which does not have a hinged cover at all, probably from the 40s, and I have it on a very nice antique graduated silver chain.
I think I would prefer a proper rectangular (or ideally square) mini-tablet with a dedicated watch-chain loop at one corner. I don't like the fake aspects of this e.g. the ticking, or using the winder as a pointer control (redundant if it has a good touch screen).
Perhaps it would be better if it were marketed as a fob, as then it would complement one's antique watch rather than competing with it.-- pocmloc, Dec 22 2013 A fob watch is fine. Not even sure if I hadn't got that in mind already.-- nineteenthly, Dec 22 2013 Sorry my nomenclature is a little mixed. By “fob” I was thinking of the decorative doodah that hangs from your watch chain. I was also thinking of a double chain, i.e. 2 identical chains attached to a common buttonhole toggle. However now I see that actually the fob is not attached to the second chain but to its own little middle short chain. The second chain is for “such things as a cigar cutter, knife, match safe, etc”. However my chain is single and plain as I follow Hardy Amies’s suggestion that dress should be understated. So I suppose I am saying that I would want a double chain so as to be able to use this device and also use my watch. And then I would worry that wearing a double chain is naff.
Incidentally Amies suggested in his book “The Gentleman’s Suit” that it is naff to wear a wristwatch with a waistcoat - at least for formal evening wear. He mentions the admirability of a gentleman at a white tie event without a pocket watch removing his wristwatch and placing it in his waistcoat pocket.-- pocmloc, Dec 22 2013 I love it. I'm looking at the upcoming 'smart watches' with mixed anticipation; on the one hand, most of the utility and organisational help that I get from my iPad on a device that will be difficult to set down and lose, on the other hand I must consider the fate of every watch I have ever owned, one more horrible that any that could be devised by Captain Hook himself. This Idea solves that problem!-- Alterother, Dec 22 2013 That would be excellent, [bigsleep]. A compass makes perfect sense.-- nineteenthly, Dec 23 2013 I would skip the ticking noise, but I support the lock screen duplicating an analog watch face.
I think I would prefer the hinged cover, and have the inside of the cover function as a secondary display/input such that a keyboard or similar could be displayed on the main, and the entry field on the cover.-- MechE, Dec 23 2013 Definitely for that, [MechE].-- nineteenthly, Dec 23 2013 I don't mind the idea of the round, pocket-sized tablet. However, give it a multi-segmented, resistive or capacitive input around the periphery. That way, you can "twist" the outside of the face to interact with it, instead of using the winder.
First app: analog chronograph. Multiple timezones, alarms, stopwatch, countdown timer, etc.
Second app: circular slide rule. Wristwatches with a slide rule bezel have numbers that are just too small for me to read.
I mean, what's more ironic than a digital computer emulating an analog computer?-- Meower68, Dec 23 2013 random, halfbakery