Split Screen watches from 01THEONE (formerly Binary Watch) have never appealed that much to me (or anyone I know, for that matter). There’s just something lame about these edge-paneled models that don’t afford them the same wearability as the rest of their line (regardless of how geeky you consider yourself). The new Art Edition Split Screen fashion watches, however, turns the appeal of these timepieces a full 180 degrees.
While the Split Screen isn’t necessarily a bad-looking watch, the odd slab of empty metal in the middle is just plain unsightly. In the Art Edition, that blank stainless steel center panel is wisely put to good use, employed as the main canvas for the catchy Romero Britto-inspired designs that set the watches apart.
Like the rest of the company’s creations, this special run uses a binary time-telling system using colored LED lights. Each piece sports one color scheme (blue, red or yellow), with an iconic face drawn onto the middle plate. The interplay of colors, coupled with the LEDs and the strap, oddly enough, just works, turning each timepiece into an eye-catching accessory. Other than the art, the rest of the frame remains relatively the same, splitting the time with the hour on the left and the minutes on the right (with an option to display the date at the touch of a button).
There are three models in the Art Edition (pictured above), with each one limited to a run of 600 pieces. I wish they had geekier pop designs since Binaries are, well, geeky watches. Maybe next time. They’re available right now for $279 apiece.
[01TheOne via Chip Chick]