The picture at the link doesn't do it justice, but it was all I could find. There's a better picture in Dwell. I'd be interested in your comments.
tja
it isn't a shocking new design hé.
but instead of always looking at what designers with a famous name are doing (sometimes they are famous not because of the magnificent designs they produced but because of marketing reasons, knowing the right persons etc) take a glimp at tokyoflash, myself i am wearing the model 5-9; that watch is more design to me than that pensi-alessi watch.
http://www.tokyoflash.com/watches1.html
Glad you asked...
Watches share with chairs the persistent attention of designers...unlike hearing aids, although M_Andersen will point out that there are some nice danish ones. This Pensi version shares with most of them that it is not a necessary or major addition to the choice that is offered already but it is a fine work of design and I am sure that those who buy one will find their left shirt sleave too long...
From a visual point of view I like the fact that the unusual reduction from the generic round shape to a square "re-constructs" the brachelet in the dial by having the same witdth and color. Somehow it would have been logical to repeat the same visual effect by re-constructing the round case inside the dial by putting the small hour dots in a circle instead of keeping then paralell to the square face. (you have to make a small sketch to relly see the difference) In doing so, Pensi would not haver been forced to change the distances between the dots in order to have an equal radiant distance. That small rithmic change dot...dot.dot.dot...dot does not disturbs me as such but the repetition of the formal link "brachelet-dial" and "case-dots" would have been more interesting, or at least it would be the indication of a thought process, whereas the square in this case looks more like an expression of just wanting to be different.
As always, I love to know who is the manufacturer (or as in this case the editor)of any product, but I am willing to look at the label, or underneat, or any place else but not on on the face! It irritates me soo much that I took my "swiss-railway-station" type watch apart to scratch it carefully off...and it is such a pleasure to see that it is five to eight now on a saturday morning....
Koen, I may be learning a little afterall...
I wondered the same thing about the dots on the face, though I wasn't confident enough to raise the point. I'm glad you commented on it. Do you suppose the designer tried it both ways and just decided he liked it better with square dots, or was there some technical constraint that required him to arrange dots in a rectangle?
P.S.: Good to see you back.
Cool but...
It's looks good. For a watch as wrist decor, fashion accessory I give it an 7 however... my core belief system is that in the design of utilitatrian objects, chairs, pepper grinders, automobiles or watches, the best design at the very least makes an incremental improvement in achieving the objects basic function.
Given the ubiquity of watches I'd give it a pass if the functionality is at least adequate given it's appealing look. I'd have to wear it a week to know. I'm not at all above watches AS a fashion accessory, I still have an old original Movado "museum watch" I wear for dress up. It's a terrible timepiece but it looks great with dress black.
I think they might have used a simple circle of the dots and played on the circle/square/circle. It would have looked just as strong and would be far easier to read. Something about that rectangle dot spacing feels vaguely uncomfortable. Close but...
to answer dc and james
reading time of the tokyoflash watch goes slower; time is not highlighted; you need to press a button, then all the leds start flickering and then you'll get the time. reading time at that point asks some exercise but goes quite easy. (but is knowing the right time of such importance in life?) As for james; you said that a watch has to have a purpose; well it ain't reading the time! if you want to impress girls on a first impression base you need to have nice (sun)glasses, nice shoes and a nice watch. It is amazing how this watch has been admired by many at the pub...;-) (i wonder if i'll get the same effect with the pensi watch...)
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