Leaning down to glance at your Seiko Astron to check the time? Easy enough. Unless you’re inside a dark movie theater. Or a really dingy club. Or trapped inside a coffin buried underground like that Ryan Reynolds movie. In those situations, the Bradley Timepiece should work way better.
Described as “a tactile timepiece,” it’s a watch that lets you tell time by simply touching the face. That way, there’s no need to look at the watch face if you don’t feel like it — just touch it with your other hand and feel where the ball bearings are positioned to figure out the time of day. Whether you’re checking time in the dark or doing it covertly (to avoid insulting your future father-in-law by checking the time while you’re chatting, for instance), this should do the trick.
To allow tactile use, the Bradley Timepiece employs a watch face without the usual setup of two hands covered by a glass on top. Instead of hands, it has a pair of ball bearings that are rolled around separate tracks using magnets — the inner bearing tells the minute while the one running along the edge tells the hour. The system is set up such that, even when the bearings are moved when you touch them, they’ll go back in place immediately.
Construction is titanium for the watch body, with bands available in either stainless steel mesh, fabric or leather. Features include Swiss Quartz movement, 50-meters water resistance, and a standard button cell battery for power.
The Bradley Timepiece is currently raising funding on Kickstarter. Pledges to reserve one starts at $128.