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Wristwatch Concepts by Product Tank

By Core Jr - August 8, 2013

in Object Culture

The wristwatch is perhaps second only to the wheel in terms of products that are in dubious need of reinvention, but designer Product Tank has a couple tricks up his sleeve (so to speak). Over on our forums, he was wondering if he had indeed invented a new enclosure system for a watchband: "I've come up with a way of putting the watch on, which must have been done before, but I can't find anything like it on internet searches, please watch the short video below and if any one has seen it etc., let me know?"

The packaging—a dead ringer for Apple products—is a nice touch. He also offers a preemptive disclaimer that the production version of the locking mechanism would be much thinner, and that the strap can be adjusted under the face of the watch.

The "Equals Watch" is accompanied by a second concept, which includes a more in-depth making-of segment and a focus on UX:

When I look at my watch, I'm not interested in the actual time, just how long this means I have left until my next meeting, until I can go home, until I can meet my friends. So I wanted to design a watch that could sync with media devices to give the user the option of having a count down to their next calendar event.

Again, Product Tank notes that he has since refined the design: "This final concept addresses the problem of having a large (usable) screen that won't fit under a shirt cuff, so the shirt cuff slides under it. The strap is made from a very fine stainless steel mesh—amazing material that feels like silk."

Head over to the discussion boards to share your thoughts!

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product tank

11 years ago

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Thank you for your responses, John, I take on board your comments, which are certainly worth considering. You could switch off/adjust all the functionality but I appreciate this still wouldn't present a good solution for you. I may do further iterations that take your comments on board. Hector S, I was going for a sort of Daft Punk aesthetic, but each to their own. It will be interesting to see if tightening a few radii, changing the strap to black and a few other tweaks will make the design more appealing. PT
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Paul

11 years ago

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I think the watch looks great, especially liked the under-the-cuff design integrated into the novel strap. I do agree that the touch screen aspect is a bit overdone, and that it might be just an unnecessary addition to a smartphone. Maybe it's best to integrate the time left to meeting into an analog display.
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Hector S

11 years ago

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Forget the 'smart' function - what ever happened to industrial designers actually designing beautiful products? It seems all they want to do these days is focus on interfaces and touch screens.
The watch itself needs a lot more thought and attention - imo looks too soft and uninviting. I can't imagine anyone I know wearing something that looks like that.
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john

11 years ago

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I really hate seeing these 'smart' watches. The ubiquity of smart cellphones negates any benefit. It's like 'oh now this thing on my wrist is telling me I have an email, but I can't read it on here, let me get out my phone which is also vibrating.'

The focus should be on the watch and the pleasurable experience of being able to tell time, not come up with new ways to annoy you.

What if you've got this, and you're in a meeting and it keeps flashing as you get new emails and it would be rude to pull your phone out and check them? Then all you have is a watch that causes anxiety.
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