Wooden Watch

This one’s all about the material.  Wood.  All wood.  Dual-tone hypo-allergenic sandalwood.  Only the case back, crown, clasp, luminescent hands and hour markers are not.  The rectangular case measures 52mm (L) x 35mm (W).  The dial is beige, the case and bracelet beige and brown.  The engine is quartz Miyoya by Citizen, and there is a date window at 6 o’clock.  The battery is easily replaced by removing 4 Phillips-head screws on the case back. (Caveat: Opening the case back yourself may void any warranty.)

I purchased the watch in 2010 online at TimelessTemptationsbyTopCat.com for $74 + S/H.  (They are Canada-based.)  The watch is manufactured by Tense, and according to their instruction manual, the wood is maintenance-free, with perhaps a gentle oiling occasionally.  I must admit, the all-wood construction gives the whole piece a unique and warmly Earth-friendly look.  Go green!!

Time Trak Series III

In case you haven’t guessed, I am attracted to the unique in timepieces.  Take Time Trak Series III.  It does not have a crystal or minute hand or second hand, and the hour “hand” is a ball-bearing that moves around the outer dial in a grooved track.  The edge of the track is calibrated in scored half-hour intervals.  If the ball-bearing is centered on a score, it is on the hour or half-hour. (Half-hour scores are shorter.)  If it is centered between two scores, it is on the quarter-hour (:15 or :45).  At other positions, the time is estimated.  With good estimation, accuracy is to within 5 minutes or less.

The watch is German-made by Abacus, with a quartz movement, and 3 ATM of water resistance.  The case is a “Goldilocks” 40mm across, done in glossy black PVD over stainless steel.  I purchased it online in 2010 from Time Quest, in California, for $199.  I’ve been “in the groove” ever since!

Vintage Minute Repeater

This is one of two minute repeaters in my collection.  It is vintage (conceived as a pocket watch in 1929 and recently converted to a wristwatch), is my most expensive timepiece at $2700 (according to the seller, it was appraised at a local jeweler for $4500), and is perhaps my favorite.

The minute repeater is a “grand complication” and, as such, is generally very costly, ranging from several thousand to several hundred thousand dollars. It chimes the hour (low tone), quarter- hour (double tone), and minute (high tone) on command. Mine is a mechanical wind-up (most minute repeaters are), looks mint and runs well, losing no more than a minute in 24 hours, with a 28-hour power reserve.  It has an original movement and dial, recently serviced and refinished respectively, with a new case and leather strap.  Being a converted pocket watch, the case is rather large–49mm across.  I purchased it on ebay in July 2012, and haven’t stopped “listening” to the time since!

Around the World

This timepiece, manufactured by Mr. Jones, has a single-jewel quartz engine, a case size of 37mm, not including the crown or lugs, and eight hour hands, shaped to represent eight landmark structures at eight different time zones.  Hence, at a glance, you can tell the time in San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Chicago, NYC, London, Paris, Istanbul or Moscow.  And these interestingly carved hands give the dial a decidedly abstract and artsy look.

I purchased the watch online at Watchismo.com for under $200 in November 2012 (the price has risen slightly since then).  If you are interested, Mr. Jones is coming out in August 2013 with a 24-hour dial that has sixteen hour hands, also available at Watchismo.com.

Bulova Accutron

As of June 2013, I have 56 watches in my collection, and love them all–they are my children.  Some I love for the way they look, and others for the unique way they tell time.  I love my Bulova Accutron for its place in horological history.  The Accutron began production in 1960.  It was the first battery-operated wristwatch, had a tuning-fork movement (hence the hum if you placed your ear next to it), and was the most accurate timepiece on the planet for 17 years–until the advent of quartz technology.

My Accutron is called the Spaceview 214, which displays the tuning fork and electric coil on the dial, the time-setting crown on the case back rather than the side, and dates back to 1964.  The watch runs best at a lower voltage than the standard 1.5 V watch battery, so I recommend the 1.35 Accucell-1.  I purchased the Spaceview pre-owned in 2005, on ebay, for about $300, and had it repaired a year later for another $300.  C’est la vie!

Eco-Drive Minute Repeater

This is the second of my minute repeaters.  It is electronic rather than mechanical, costs $315 rather than $2700 (the price of my vintage mechanical minute repeater), has a case diameter of 41mm, and chimes a bit louder and more slowly than the vintage mechanical.  It also has additional features: 2 alarm functions, and a perpetual calendar complication, which provides the correct date through 2100, including leap years.  It is an Eco-Drive, which means it is powered by a solar cell and, if charged periodically by exposure to light, should never need battery replacement.  (Invicta puts out a minute repeater similar to this for about the same price, but with conventional battery replacement.)

I purchased this timepiece new with tags from a retailer in NYC, Tama Time Watches, in October, 2012, as “new-old-stock” since production was discontinued several years back.  It is still available online, NOS and pre-owned, but caveat emptor—prices vary greatly!

Nixie Tube

This one’s weird, clunky and retro-geeky.  I love it!!  I found it several years back at cathodecorner.com, but had to wait almost a year for it to come back in stock.  The display features 2 Nixie Tubes (cathode tubes), which represent a 40-year-old technology that predates LEDs and LCDs, and has since become obsolete.  What remain are warehoused as new-old-stock stock.

The display can read either 12-hour or 24-hour time in bright orange 15mm tall digits.  There are no buttons to press.  Simply tilt your wrist to the proper viewing angle (which you preset), and the display is activated.  The battery is a CR2 lithium and is easily replaced by  unscrewing the case cover by hand.  I purchased it in April 2011 for $395, but the price has since gone up ($495 as of June 2013).  It’s called inflation.

Warning:  Don’t wear this watch at airports–you may be stopped for wearing a suspicious-looking “timing device.”
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Why My Wacky Watches are Both Fun and Educational

Every mechanical device has a purpose. Typewriters type, vacuum cleaners suck, watches tell time. But can a watch stimulate thinking…reasoning…the use of faculties beyond reading a series of numbers or the position of hands on a dial?   With Barry;’s Wacky Watches  the answer is a resounding YES!  Nowhere else can you find timepieces that make you “think the time” not just “tell the time”.   Enter my world of watches and experience a whole new dimension in timekeeping and time telling.

I’d love to hear your thoughts either by commenting about my watches or filling out my poll and survey.

 

Popularity Poll

My goal in this survey is to determine which of my watches are most popular and present these results to a specialty watch manufacturer so that my best and most popular creations can be made available to my loyal readers. (Select up to 5 designs.)

Thanks for your participation.

Pill Box

This watch does not only tell you the time, it stores your medication. I found it online several years ago and was immediately fascinated. Below the dial is a see-through storage cylinder that holds your pills and capsules. Above the dial is a lever bar that releases the cylinder, which remains attached to the case by a small chain tether. Have a headache?  Press the bar, pop open the “pill box” and be relieved.

The watch has a quartz engine, and was reasonably priced at under $100. (The exact price–and website where I found it–escapes me. But that happens when you’re “watching” over 50 timepieces!)