Nightly News: Alarm Clock Grades Your Sleep Quality
Posted by admin in Cool Clock on March 11th, 2010
A lot of us underestimate just how important a good night’s sleep is. Without the seven to eight hours of nightly shuteye that experts recommend, our cognitive function decreases rapidly. What’s more, sleep deprivation has even been linked to type 2 diabetes and coronary artery calcification. These are pretty major consequences for skipping sleep, something that most people see as harmless. The Zeo alarm clock aims to keep people healthy by giving a daily report on how well the user sleeps.
The main premise of the clock is that it tracks how much time is spent in each stage of sleep. The user wears a thin headband all night which conveys information about their sleep cycles to the clock. In the morning, the data is displayed on the clock unit, including a unique “sleep score.” The clock even has an option that will analyze the user’s optimum waking point, waking them up just when they will be the least groggy.
What’s even cooler about the Zeo is that you can upload the data from the clock unit to the company’s “sleep coaching” website. If you pay for personal sleep coaching, you’ll receive personalized information on how your activities, diet and sleep environment are affecting your nightly Zs. While it won’t help you fall asleep or stay asleep, using the Zeo may just help you identify your particular sleep problems.
Soil-Powered Alarm Clock Gets Your Bambooty Out of Bed
Posted by admin in Cool Clock on March 9th, 2010
Just when we think that nothing new can be done with clocks, someone else makes a wicked cool new one that makes us stand up and pay attention. This awesome bamboo soil clock comes to us from Dutch designer Marieke Staps, and all it asks for from you is two potted plants and some moisture. The designer says that the biological processes in the soil produce enough bacteria to power the clock. We have to wonder if it’s the plants providing these processes, or the dirt itself. Because we can think of some people who would kill those plants within days, but watering pots of dirt would probably be possible. Regardless, Inhabitat (which sells the clock in their store) says that you can use any two plants to provide electricity for this super-cool clock.
The clock itself, excluding the electrodes and wires, is made of bamboo, which is an extremely renewable, sustainable material. And unlike some science-project-type timepieces (we’re looking at you, potato clock), this one is actually quite attractive. You just push the zinc and copper electrodes down into the dirt of your two potted plants and make sure to keep those plants watered. Just don’t use vegetables or herbs: the zinc electrode degrades into the dirt in time and you don’t want that coming up in your tarragon.
Word to Your Wall Clock: Letters Spell Out the Time
Posted by admin in Cool Clock on March 7th, 2010
Aren’t you tired of all of those numbers cluttering up your clock’s face? Then it’s about time you got the Qlocktwo by Biegert & Funk, because it’s got none of that nonsense. It spells out the time in clear, plain English…or German, if you prefer. The sleek acrylic face features lines of letters that spell out the time in five-minute increments, and four dots in the corners let you know exactly what time it is, down to the minute.
For more hot clocks and watches, please visit www.nzwatches.com
At 885 Euro ,the clock, handmade in Germany, comes with some pretty awesome features like a time-signal receiver so you never have to set it, and automatic daylight saving time adjustments. You can choose between several colors to match the rest of your room. It even senses ambient light and adjusts itself accordingly. The design is very cool and, we must admit, pretty original.
Early German watch and watch movement, 16th century.
Posted by admin in Cool Watches on March 5th, 2010
The earliest known watches were made in Germany at the beginning of the 16th century. They were scaled-down versions of the slightly earlier table-clocks and were made wholly of iron. An example of the movement of one of these watches is shown on the left and dates from the first half of the 16th century. The watch on the right has an outer ring of dial figures running from I to XII and an inner ring that runs from 13 to 24. Although made in Germany, it was intended for use in Italy where a 24-hour system of of hour-reckoning was employed until the late 17th century. This watch would have been worn suspended from a cord slung around the wearer’s neck.
For more hot clocks and watches, please visit www.nzwatches.com
It’s About Time: Multifunctional Antique Pocket Sundials
Posted by admin in Cool Watches on March 2nd, 2010
Most of us tell time these days by looking at a watch strapped to a wrist or by pulling a cell phone out of a pocket. But the timepieces from centuries ago were much more interesting. The one above is from 16th century Germany and now resides in the Beyer Watch and Clock Museum in Zurich. It’s a multifunctional piece that included a gunpowder flask, compass and sundial. The rosewood flask is decorated with ornaments of brass and bone, and at the top is the bone funnel used to insert the gunpowder. Beneath the small lid in the center of the piece is a sundial; a string gnomon is exposed by opening the lid and can tell the hours from 6 am to 6 pm.
This gold-plated brass sundial was made in the same time period as the above multifunctional pocket sundial, but it’s missing the compass that used to be part of its design. It was excavated in 1997 at the former site of the Mission de Santa Cruz San Saba in Texas. The mission was destroyed by attacking Native Americans in 1758, but the sundial was made 177 years prior, making it a valuable heirloom even then. Why it was left behind and not taken as a prize is a mystery, but it’s lucky for us that the fascinating gadget was left behind for future generations to admire and study.
Thierry Oulevay Presents the Jean Dunand Tourbillon Orbital & Shabaka: Prepare To Be Amazed
Posted by admin in Luxury Watches on March 1st, 2010
As promised, we are now presenting you with a collection of timepieces that rise above what you see in your daily lives. In fact, we’d be surprised if you had ever seen or even heard of the watches in the video below, but after seeing them, we can assure you you’ll have some new grail pieces.
Jean Dunand is a six year old company that produces unique pieces at the highest levels of haute horlogerie. We don’t mean unique in the superlative sense, we mean it in the literal sense. In fact, not one timepiece Jean Dunand produces is like any other. It was founded by horological entrepreneur Thierry Oulevay and Master watchmaker Christophe Claret (who you may remember is 1/3 of the genius behind The Maitres du Temps Chapter One), and they have been producing world-firsts ever since.
The first is the Tourbillon Orbital, which features an extraordinary one-minute flying tourbillon that orbits the dial once per hour on a patented revolving movement, a novel power reserve indicator in the case band and moon phase on the case back. How impressive of a timepiece is this?
Well, it took Christophe Claret two years to solve the challenge of winding and setting a constantly rotating movement and mainspring barrel. Eventually, he decided to do it via an innovative folding key set vertically into the movement’s central axis that both winds the mainspring and sets the time. Think about that.
Linde Werdelin Gets Complicated for Basel 2010: A Frederic Piguet Powered Oktopus Moonphase
Posted by admin in Cool Watches on February 28th, 2010
It’s getting to be that time of year, BaselWorld is coming! One of the first pre-announcements that has excited us is the new Linde Werdelin Oktopus you see to the right. Last year they announced the first dedicated diver Oktopus model, which quickly became a favorite amongst both professional and recreational divers.
The First Complication
The new Oktopus retains the same masculine case as the original, but features the very first complication for this young producer of sport watches; a photorealistic moonphase made by Svend Andersen, the same man who created the movement inside their now nouveau-iconic SpidoLite SA. The Oktopous Moonphase is not your typical moonphase though, in fact the entire disc is made of a photorealistic, luminescent material so that it is easy to read.
Why the Moon?
Many of you may be wondering what sense a moonphase complication makes for a diving watch, but if you’ve ever gone diving at night, or spent any time around serious divers, you know that many live and die by the phases of the moon. Diving under a full moon in clear water is an experience that borders on the spiritual. The Oktopus moonphase complication is actually based on a date function, allowing the wearer to view a countdown to the next full or half moon, so that you can plan your next dive accordingly; a very cool idea.
Frederic Piguet vs. ETA
The Oktopus Moonphase marks another important departure for Linde Werdelin, that being from the use of ETA automatic movements. While the complication is a product of Svend Andersen, the based movement is no longer an ETA-2892 but rather a Frederic Piguet Caliber 1150. This is important for a few reasons, Linde Werdelin has quickly become popular among high-grade collectors and to some the ETA movement was something of a deterrent. Now for those who don’t know, Frederic Piguet is a sister company to ETA, also owned by the Swatch Group, but instead of providing movements to the likes of Hamilton, Longines, Omega, and hundreds of other brands of varying quality, Frederic Piguet supplies movements to the Swatch Group’s Prestige brands, most notably Blancpain and Breguet, as well as prestigious outsiders like Franck Muller and Harry Winston. This is a very serious step up and a welcome change.
The Details
The Linde Werdelin Oktopus Moonphase will be released in a series of only 29 units (the number of days it takes for a full moon to cycle), and the bezel of this titanium case is rose gold. This watch also features an exhibition caseback to show off the Frederic Piguet movement and will be available to order from September 2010.
For more hot clocks and watches, please visit www.nzwatches.com
Calling Dick Tracy: 2 Watch Phones Hit the European Market
Posted by admin in Hot watches, New Design on February 27th, 2010
We thought we’d never see the day, but the watch phone has actually arrived. We’ll not beat around the bush: we think it’s a dumb idea. It may sound cool to be able to call someone from your wristwatch, but they’re big and bulky, while the touchscreen seems tiny enough to necessitate button-mashing. And who uses their phone just for talking these days? Never known for heeding our warnings, though, LG and Samsung both went ahead and unveiled watch phones over the summer.
LG’s GD910 is pretty much just what you’d expect from a watch phone: it’s big, it’s thick, it’s kind of uncomfortable. According to Engadget’s review, it functions just fine, other than having somewhat difficult-to-navigate menus. The big drawback for any watch phone is, of course, having to buy and use a Bluetooth headset because you don’t want the whole world listening to both sides of your conversation. And then there’s the issue of the price: over $800 US. That’s a lot of cash for what amounts to a flashy toy.
For more hot clocks and watches, please visit www.nzwatches.com
Phone Geeks Rejoice: The Blackberry Watch is Almost Here
Posted by admin in Cool Watches on February 26th, 2010
As if having your Blackberry permanently attached to your palm weren’t enough, you’ll soon be able to free up your hands and check your messages from a big ol’ watch strapped to your wrist. The inPulse Smartwatch for Blackberry Smartphones was just announced, and it’s enough to make any BB geek as giddy as a schoolgirl. The device connects to your Blackberry via Bluetooth and lets you read SMS messages, email, and all of your other indispensable info without digging your phone out of your pocket or bag. You don’t even have to set the time on it – the watch grabs it right from your Blackberry.
It might seem like just another useless smartphone gadget, but it’s crazy useful when you’re stuck in a meeting or some other setting where checking your phone every few seconds isn’t cool. (Of course, glancing at your watch every few seconds in a meeting may not be the smartest career move, either.) It has a built-in vibrating alert, so you can see at a glance who’s calling or texting, even when you’re sweating away at the gym. At the very least, seeing on your watch who’s bugging you will help you decide if you need to actually dig that phone out.
For more hot clocks and watches, please visit www.nzwatches.com
Faceless, Handless Clock Tells Time With Light Beams
Posted by admin in Cool Clock on February 25th, 2010
Faceless, Handless Clock Tells Time With Light Beams
When off, the Good Afternoon Clock looks like nothing more than a plastic circle hanging on the wall with a cord attached. But when it’s on, it becomes a beautifully simple clock that tells time with thin beams of white light coming from the ring and shining inward. The lights tell hours, minutes and seconds in the most clutter-free clock display ever. The delicate and ephemeral nature of the light beams may well be a comment on time itself: it is fluid, fleeting and
The Good Afternoon Clock was created by the MILE Project, a group of three friends who met at the University of Tsukuba. The software engineer, acoustic engineer and interior designer all bring their own unique talents to each project they embark on, and the Good Afternoon Clock is just one of their fascinating and beautiful designs. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like this particular design is being produced for purchase at this time.
For more hot clocks and watches, please visit www.nzwatches.com