Mobile Technology

Phosphor's swipe-friendly Touch Time watch

Phosphor's swipe-friendly Touch Time watch
The Touch Time's functions can be accessed via the capacitive LCD touch display
The Touch Time's functions can be accessed via the capacitive LCD touch display
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Touch Time integrates style with innovation in watch design
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Touch Time integrates style with innovation in watch design
Unlock functionality with easy to use touch interface
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Unlock functionality with easy to use touch interface
The Touch Time features an "always on" LED-backlit LCD display
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The Touch Time features an "always on" LED-backlit LCD display
The touch screen enables users to change the style of the display by flicking up and down
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The touch screen enables users to change the style of the display by flicking up and down
The coin cell battery has a one year life span and is easy to replace
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The coin cell battery has a one year life span and is easy to replace
The Touch Time has 6 different alarms, a calculator and a calendar with reminders of tasks and events
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The Touch Time has 6 different alarms, a calculator and a calendar with reminders of tasks and events
The Touch Time screen can be locked to ensure all information is safe, even if the watch is lost
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The Touch Time screen can be locked to ensure all information is safe, even if the watch is lost
14 different watch dial appearances styled by Nike designer Stefan Andre
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14 different watch dial appearances styled by Nike designer Stefan Andre
Unisex design
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Unisex design
The Touch Time's functions can be accessed via the capacitive LCD touch display
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The Touch Time's functions can be accessed via the capacitive LCD touch display
View gallery - 10 images

Since the release of its first E-ink watch in 2007, Art Technology’s Phosphor brand has steadily added a number of wristwatches boasting E-ink display technology like that used in eReaders, such as Amazon’s Kindle. For the latest addition to its range, however, Phosphor has eschewed the E-ink display in favor of an “always on” LCD display with capacitance touchscreen technology that allows access to the watches’ various functions with a swipe or a tap.

Along with standard digital watch features including stopwatch, alarms, world time and calendar functions, the Touch Time also includes a calculator, reminders, phases of the Moon and horoscope functions. All these can be accessed by tapping the relevant icon on the display, with the touch interface replacing the myriad of physical buttons often found on traditional digital watches.

Users can also switch between 14 different watch dial faces, ranging from oversized digital to analog, with a swipe of a finger. There’s also the ability to customize the language displayed, with support for English, French, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, and German.

Like traditional digital watches, the Touch Time is powered by a replaceable coin cell battery, which should keep the “always on” 144 x 168 pixel LCD display with LED backlight running for over a year. The watch is also water resistant up to 30 m (98 ft) and will be offered in a number of different silicone strap and bracelet versions.

Phosphor is seeking funds via Kickstarter to get the Touch Time to production and has already blitzed its US$50,000 goal, raising over $170,000 with 34 days still to go. The minimum pledge remaining to secure a Touch Time watch is $99. However, to score an 18k gold-dipped case Kickstarter special edition you'll need to shell out $499.

The Touch Time Kickstarter video pitch can be viewed below.

Sources: Phosphor via Kickstarter

View gallery - 10 images
1 comment
1 comment
Threesixty
Now that's a watch! No re-charging for a year, and no connectivity; only time-keeping on a grand scale.
The smart phone will eventually fit into a watch, except a smart phone needs a big screen.