On time with crazy ideas

Currently ignoring the grand prix filler before the race (I watch them as-live but delayed) and looking through a few tech websites ...

Found this story from Tomshardware - Hybrid Watch combines the best of analogue and digital.

Go have a peek and try and decipher the display. Took me a while ...

I've used analogue time stuff for many years ... Because I suffer from astygmatism (more later) which blurries up my vision, I have to wear glasses almost all the time. But - I want stuff where I can read the time without my glasses on, which means big contrast and easy to read displays.

I don't call that hybrid watch piece of rubbish as either big contrast or easy to read (ok, maybe after you've retrained yourself). Old tech does it better :

That's my current watch (yes, my laptop needs to be hit with an airblower!). The pic is somewhat flashridden but you should still be able to make out a time of 10.29 and 47 seconds. I've had that watch for I believe 14 and a half years, it was one of the first things I bought after getting my job offer after uni. (Which let me get a couple of loans to clear my student debt)







It's an Accurist, which :

Has been solid and reliable for 14 years
Only occasionally needs a battery
Has all the functions you could want (although cooking timer is no longer an option cos the alarm is now mute)
Gold on blue makes for awesome contrast
Is still on its original strap
Keeps very good time (even after 14 years)

I like my watch, although it often spends its time sat on a desk instead of on my wrist. Someone else does too, because there's a colleague at work who has the exact same watch. It shows the benefit of spending enough cash to make a purchase Worth It, I used to spend £30 every year or so on unreliable Timex and Lorus watches (I broke several at school) that would lose minutes between clock changes. The £90 for the Accurist has lasted a far longer than expected 14 years, with new batteries being about £10 every couple of years.

It's also irreplaceable, as Accurist no longer make a design with the same clarity and contrast.

To show what I mean by my astygmatism, here's the non-flash shot where I didn't have anything handy to brace the camera for a 1/4sec exposure shot :

That's actually easier to read without the flash ... My actual vision is somewhat worse than that (blurry and diffuse) but it shows the value of having good contrast and clear indicators.












So there we have it - oldschool = still the best. Ignore the functions and flashiness and artiness and all that really matters is : "Can I read the time from a distance and quickly ?" I personally struggle with digital watches and that piece of arty trash from Tokyoflash is just pure garbage, to be filed with "there's one born every minute"