Ora Unica Watch

Today, I might have good news for everyone out there who is looking for a creative watch of high quality. I lately discovered the Ora Unica which – instead of hands- has a squiggly line to represent the hours and minutes. At first, I didn’t really understand how to read the time from that timepiece but after a while, the doodles became clear to me. With one end marking the hours and the other end the minutes, the resulting doodle changes as time passes. But how can one single line have two independently moving ends? Well, that’s the question I asked myself until I finally found out that there are actually two lines, each one printed on a transparent disc. 

The unisex watch is designed by Denis Guidone, an award-winning Italian designer who studied architecture before starting his career as a watch designer for the Italian brand NAVA. By the way, “Ora Unica” simply means “One Hour”.

I really love this wristwatch and keep wondering how a childish doodle can look that stylish and elegant!

Positive / Negative Watch by Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry, a well-known Canadian-American architect, designed a men watch for the brand Fossil a few years ago. This very special and unusual timepiece doesn’t have a numerical display like the ones we are used to. Instead, the time is represented in handwriting and written as it would be said by lazy people. For example, 9:52 is written as “8 til 10”. These numbers appear on a large LED screen and can show the time in positive space as well as in negative space. This is where the name of the watch comes from which simply is “Positive / Negative”. 

The architect is usually known for his eye-popping buildings all over the world, such as the titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilbo or the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. By simply looking at his buildings, you can see Gehry’s innovative spirit what makes it even more special to wear a piece of unique design around your wrist. In fact, all the letters on the Positive / Negative Watch are written in Gehry’s own handwriting.

The watch was originally priced at $150 by Fossil. Unfortunately, the only ones that you can still find today are sold on Ebay at higher prices.

Samsung’s Gear watch – New tech presented at IFA Berlin

In September 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Gear has been officially unveiled at IFA Berlin. I was really curious to see it and I can tell you that it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. With this digital watch users can check their messages and Facebook updates by simply glancing on their wrists or have the possibility to make calls. I used the opportunity to put it around my own wrist and even though I looked like a secret agent, I didn’t like it all that much as I thought I would. The watch is heavy in weight and uncomfortable to wear. But as the user interface is not complex at all, it was really fun to try the different functions and to simply play with it.

 

To perform its full range of functions the smartwatch needs to be linked with a smartphone. This is how you are able to make calls and receive calls without having to take your phone out of your pocket. But there are also lots of applications that work without your smartphone. One example is the fitness app RunKeeper which tracks runs and other workouts. Whenever you are worried about your health, the watch can inform you about your pulse and other health information. Of course there is also the possibility to take pictures and videos.

Samsung’s Gear watch has been released on September 25 and the strap is available in six different colors.