Watches

We have covered luxury watches many times on Gizmag and it's often a little problematic. The marketing spiel from the manufacturers is always in that strange flowery language that's designed to appeal to those for whom the primary concern is not cost. However, every now and then along comes a series of watches that seem to truly justify their price tag in terms of provenance, style and sheer craftsmanship. The extraordinary "Blue Ocean" and the Platinum Collection from which it comes is just such a line. Read More

It's not always convenient to take your wallet with you wherever you go. Times like a morning run or bike ride, it can be easier to leave your cash and ID at home. What happens if you're out on a run and want to stop for a cup of coffee? What if you have a medical emergency or become injured during your trip? RumbaTime's series of GO-enabled watches aim to solve those problems by letting you bring your cash and all your medical information along with you wherever you go in a small colorful watch. Read More

With two thirds of the world's population now carrying a mobile phone, the only functional aspect of the wristwatch is redundant. The appreciation of fine bespoke mechanical computers however, is stronger than ever - more than US$46 billion this year - three times the tablet computer marketplace. Last Saturday evening, the timepeice industry gathered for the Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Genève, where the industry awards the best timepeices in a dozen categories. The "Aiguille d'Or" was awarded to the US$87,000 De Bethune DB28. Another leaureate keeps time to one thousandth of a second and another keeps the true length of the day, both achieved mechanically. They cost more than a Ferrari, and are equally as complex. Showing this story to a loved one might cost you a lot of money. Read More

Why on Earth would you want to strap one of these to your wrist? It barely tells the time, and it can't take pictures, tweet or connect to your Facebook. In fact, very few people would have the faintest idea what it is, or why you'd want one at all. But for those that do recognize its intricate gears and dials, this tiny, complex piece of machinery tells a vivid and incredible tale. It's a story of gigantic scientific upheaval, of adventure and shipwreck on the high seas, of war and death. A story of amazing intellect, lost riches and impossible chance - a sunken treasure that Jaques Cousteau once described as "more valuable than the Mona Lisa" - and it's connected with an ancient celebrity whose star shone so brightly that he's still a household name more than 2200 years after his death... Read on! Read More

First unveiled online a few months ago, I'm Watch is a smartphone-compatible wristwatch, designed to work with Android-based cell phones – although it's reportedly also compatible with iOS devices. It is being developed by an Italian producer, and is currently available for pre-order. Initially the price tag was very high, but it is now being offered in a cheaper, colored version called I'm Color. The watch is scheduled to be released this October. Read More

Tokyoflash Japan has unveiled yet another unusual watch - the Kisai Kaidoku. It was submitted to the Tokyoflash Design Studio Blog by 15-year old Tynan Mayhew from Canada and is the second fan-submitted watch design to makes it from concept to reality. Instead of the traditional numerical face and hands or digital readout, the LCD-based stainless steel wristwatch displays the time and date using flashing words. Read More

Since their invention, watches have been gaining more and more functions. The time of day has been joined by such things as the day, date, month, year, alarms, stopwatches, moonphase, calculator, and even mobile phone capabilities. The latest feature-packed device wrapped up in a wrist-friendly form factor comes from France-based company VEA, which is set to introduce its Sportive training watch that includes such features as a pulse rate monitor, MP3 player and basic mobile phone – oh, and it also tells the time. Read More

If you enjoy building model airplanes as a boy, and become a designer of high-end watches as an adult, what do you end up doing? If you're Maximilian Büsser, you create a watch that resembles an airplane – and that costs as much as one, too. That’s the story behind the new watch from Switzerland’s MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends), the Horological Machine No. 4 Thunderbolt. The 50-jewel titanium and sapphire timepiece looks like it might wrench itself free of your wrist and start performing inside loops in the sky ... given that it sells for a mind-blowing 150,000 euro (US$196,812), however, you’d probably want to keep it close at hand. Read More

Tokyoflash, known for advanced (read "way-out") watch designs, recently asked its followers to submit and vote on new designs – and the first batch has gone into production. Read More