Watchismo Times

A cell phone vision from the 1979 book "Future Cities - Homes & Living into the 21st Century". Page 12 foreshadows a telephone wristwatch (they even speculate the nickname "The Risto") connected by satellites and capable of electronic mail and most surprisingly, electronic voting. All activated by pressing the aerial pop-out button!

via Paleo-Future

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Wrist Radios
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James Bond Watches


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The first of a few features about transparent mystery dial timepieces, both wristwatch and clock oriented. I recently bought this oddball vintage Panasonic (model #RC-6500C) clock-radio on Ebay and was just blown away with it's design -- Appearing to be floating in space, the hour, minutes, seconds and alarm are split into four layered clear disks spinning in a porthole for both clock and radio. Each disk is a gear in itself with the contacts of the outer teeth & notches hidden by the case. The concept has also been miniaturized for some spectacular watches, stay tuned...

See my short video below showing off the clock's transparency. Once I find someone to repair the lamp feature, the displays will again glow blue for night viewing.






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The man, the myth, the miniaturization of everything he could think of.

Sir Clive Sinclair - Inventor of the first pocket calculator (1972 Sinclair Executive), the first pocket television (1966 Microvision), the homemade LED watch (1975 Black Watch) and this 1984 FM radio watch prototype by Dagfinn Aksnes. Only few exist after the plug was pulled on production within days of it's introduction at an electronics trade show in Las Vegas.

Three separate body casings for the LCD watch, FM radio/tuner and center speaker are connected by bottom hinges, "flexicircuits" and protected by expandable accordion style "concertina" covers allowing the watch to curve to the wrist. The antenna for reception was a copper band concealed inside the strap and powered by two batteries, one in clock case, one in buckle.

I owned one for a time, loved it's prototypical Mars Rover qualities, soon discovered that the watch had many functional (not design) flaws and understand it's premature demise. Apparently there is a rich tradition of advanced products failing at Sinclair. A sign of a true trailblazer.

Dagfinn Aksnes Article
Planet Sinclair Article & Photos
LEDWatches.net Article & Photos