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posted by Fnord666 on Monday June 07 2021, @09:32AM   Printer-friendly
from the cuckoo-watch dept.

Do Wristwatches Get Any Better than a Cuckoo Clock?:

There are few better ways of asserting your independent spirit as a hardware hacker than by creating your own special timepiece. Even more so if the timepiece is a watch, particularly in this era of smartwatches. Few home-made timepieces though have come as near to wristwatch Nirvana as the cuckoo clock wristwatch from [Kiyotaka Akasaka], which we would venture to name as having won wristwatches. Nobody will top this one in the field of home-made clocks!

There is a short (35 second) video of it on YouTube.

What's the most unusual timepiece you've ever seen? Worn? Do you have a favorite?

My favorite is a Seiko Titanium Grand Sport that I bought about 15 years ago. It's not that unusual, but it is amazingly light-weight. It's a little small at 38mm but that size is fine for me.


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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by driverless on Monday June 07 2021, @10:18AM

    by driverless (4770) on Monday June 07 2021, @10:18AM (#1142695)

    ... worn by Deja Vu [youtu.be] takes some beating.

  • (Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @11:01AM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @11:01AM (#1142699)

    What is with people and watches? It's not enough being surrounded by clocks pretty much everywhere, so you need some more?

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @11:32AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @11:32AM (#1142704)

      If you don't have a smartwatch with at least quad-core and 8 gigabytes of RAM, you are the boomer.

      • (Score: 1) by sensei_moreh on Monday June 07 2021, @04:01PM (1 child)

        by sensei_moreh (4698) on Monday June 07 2021, @04:01PM (#1142775)

        I am the boomer. $15 at Wally World.

        --
        Geology - It's not rocket science; it's rock science
        • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday June 08 2021, @02:46AM

          by Reziac (2489) on Tuesday June 08 2021, @02:46AM (#1143008) Homepage

          So much? Last watch I wore regularly, I got for the cost of a stamp and a coupon found in a cereal box. (Yes, really.)

          --
          And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 08 2021, @12:39AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 08 2021, @12:39AM (#1142977)

        Boomers at least know what clockwise and counter-clockwise mean.

    • (Score: 2) by pkrasimirov on Monday June 07 2021, @02:17PM

      by pkrasimirov (3358) Subscriber Badge on Monday June 07 2021, @02:17PM (#1142739)

      For some people it's a status indicator. For others it's fasion and part of the outfit. Today the watch is a watch as much as the phone is a phone -- both would be regarded as supercomputers 20 years ago.

    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Tork on Monday June 07 2021, @03:59PM

      by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Monday June 07 2021, @03:59PM (#1142770)
      I have a smart watch because it more-or-less acts like a second monitor for my smart phone. I have a team of people working for me and I directly interface with the client. When I get a communication I get a tap on my wrist and I with a quick glance I can see what it's about. That's faster than getting my phone out, especially when I'm in the cramped quarters of a taxi or something. If I'm on foot I rarely notice my phone vibrating on my pocket so I did have a habit of constantly dragging my phone out to keep an eye on it... and honestly that's not too smart to do if you're on foot heading somewhere.

      For me (your mileage may vary...) this is a convenient way to keep up to date and the benefits are worthwhile. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a lifesaver (i.e. you CAN live without it just fine, it's more of a luxury) but I do credit the various smart watches I've owned for getting information timely and conveniently enough to prevent redundant work from happening. I mean if a client says: "stop working on this" every second past that that our team's working on it is just wasted $$$. Since I've trained myself to keep an eye on it it works as sort of like a HUD. I take pretty good advantage of todo lists, reminders, and alarms AND nobody ever hears a sound from my smart phone since the haptic feedback is what alerts me.

      Use what works for you, but for people like me these little devices are definitely worthwhile.
      --
      🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
  • (Score: 2) by looorg on Monday June 07 2021, @11:22AM

    by looorg (578) on Monday June 07 2021, @11:22AM (#1142701)

    While it looks funny I don't think I would want one of those on my wrists. Looks to large dimension wise, also I think it's fairly given that you have to wear it with the face (or house) outwards and I prefer to have my clock inwards, and I do wonder how much it weighs. Perhaps it can be sold as some kind of training utility can you'll build up wrist strength from having to look at the time.

    What's the most unusual timepiece you've ever seen?

    I think the first time I saw someone wearing a binary wrist watch. All the blinking little lights. It just seems so anti-clock and not very practical at all but at the same time genius and funny to look at.

  • (Score: 1) by HammeredGlass on Monday June 07 2021, @02:10PM (2 children)

    by HammeredGlass (12241) on Monday June 07 2021, @02:10PM (#1142736)

    That isn't a smartwatch and also isn't festooned with ugly labels describing all of its functions.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by pkrasimirov on Monday June 07 2021, @02:35PM (1 child)

      by pkrasimirov (3358) Subscriber Badge on Monday June 07 2021, @02:35PM (#1142745)

      I always wondered why anyone would want something that looks like an old water meter on their wrist.

      • (Score: 1) by HammeredGlass on Monday June 07 2021, @03:01PM

        by HammeredGlass (12241) on Monday June 07 2021, @03:01PM (#1142755)

        Or a new water meter or that matter. They're no better.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @02:50PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @02:50PM (#1142748)

    Defunitely not a supercomputer 40 years ago, but the battery lasts for 10 years. Only problem is the bands keep breaking or popping off the face.

    iWatch bands are awesome, wish I could use them with the Timex.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @03:59PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @03:59PM (#1142771)

      iWatch bands probably cost more than your Timex.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @06:08PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @06:08PM (#1142829)

        Yes, but I need a band to wear it at all.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 08 2021, @04:32PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 08 2021, @04:32PM (#1143188)

          You're lucky. No one is going to hold you up for your Timex.

  • (Score: 2) by Rich on Monday June 07 2021, @02:55PM

    by Rich (945) on Monday June 07 2021, @02:55PM (#1142751) Journal

    Straight from the creator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcuViW8jyuY [youtube.com]

    I love the comparison chart at 0:22. A clear win for Akasaka against Apple! Let's see what Apple come up with in their Keynote later. It's said they present homeOS today, but unless they have a secret cuckooOS up their sleeves as well, they will remain hopelessly trailing in that market segment.

    On the extended topic of watches, I was let down by a Junghans Mega Solar Ceramic in its first edition. In theory it would have been eternally powered, eternally on time, and near indestructible. In reality not only the battery lifetime, but the whole chemistry behind the battery (Vanadium, no longer available) could have been outlasted by the button cell in a Casio F-91W. Maybe I should convert it to a cuckoo clock, too? (It would at least be true to geographic heritage, Junghans are from the black forest).

  • (Score: 2) by LVDOVICVS on Monday June 07 2021, @03:15PM

    by LVDOVICVS (6131) on Monday June 07 2021, @03:15PM (#1142761)

    The Defakto Eins Inkognito is still my favorite watch (I do own one, but receive no compensation for my esteemed and eloquent endorsement.)

    On its face it has only one hand, no numbers, and no branding. It has a pretty basic Swiss, self-winding movement. I only wear it occasionally because I don't normally pay that much for watches.

    As for telling time with a watch that only indicates the quarter hours, I find that's more than accurate enough for the majority of my daily needs. I find it interesting that despite the high accuracy of modern clocks, I seldom need to know the time so precisely.

    https://www.defakto-watches.com/watches/eins/inkognito/3/ [defakto-watches.com]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @04:21PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 07 2021, @04:21PM (#1142787)

    soyvertisement?

  • (Score: 2) by kazzie on Monday June 07 2021, @06:22PM (3 children)

    by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Monday June 07 2021, @06:22PM (#1142837)

    My favorite is a Seiko Titanium Grand Sport that I bought about 15 years ago. It's not that unusual, but it is amazingly light-weight. It's a little small at 38mm but that size is fine for me.

    I have a Sekonda Titanium watch [amazon.co.uk] that my wife (-to-be back then) bought for me for our first Christmas together. It's fairly plain and no-nonsense, just a clockface, three hands, and a date indicator.

    It is technically a ladies' watch (and I'm a gent), but men's watches tend to look even more oversized than usual on my skinny wrists. Small definitely works better for me. She took a male friend shopping with her at the time, who assured her that "no, it doesn't look like a ladies' watch" , to make sure she didn't muck up!

    • (Score: 2) by kazzie on Monday June 07 2021, @06:23PM

      by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Monday June 07 2021, @06:23PM (#1142838)

      p.s. This is definitely not a soyvertisment, as the watch is no longer available for sale!

    • (Score: 2) by Anti-aristarchus on Tuesday June 08 2021, @05:56AM (1 child)

      by Anti-aristarchus (14390) on Tuesday June 08 2021, @05:56AM (#1143048) Journal

      and a date indicator.

      You just reminded my my watch has one of those! It says "12".

      • (Score: 2) by kazzie on Tuesday June 08 2021, @06:59AM

        by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday June 08 2021, @06:59AM (#1143052)

        And it's correct once a month?

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by turgid on Monday June 07 2021, @07:37PM

    by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Monday June 07 2021, @07:37PM (#1142867) Journal

    Synchronised daily to a radio signal, changes for Daylight Saving Time automatically, solar powered with a rechargeable battery, and luminous face and hands.

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