wristwatch

It's been a long while since we've posted about unreadable timepieces, and for good reason: We can't stand them. But Tokyoflash, the most shameless purveyor of these maddening devices, has truly outdone itself with the "Infection."

As best we can tell, the face of this wristwatch is supposed to symbolize a colony of bacteria or some other disgusting microorganisms, with LEDs pulsating along the way to resemble their movement. And tell time, of course, though we defy anyone to figure that out at first glance.

It's unclear what kind of statement this is meant … Read more

If you're one of those Wi-Fi moochers who's always looking for a discreet way to score a free connection, this gadget may be a perfect solution. Rather than having to boorishly whip out a obvious detector, you can pretend to be checking the time while surreptitiously looking for the nearest hot spot on a "Wi-Fi Detecting Watch."

This handy gadget promises to detect signals within a radius of more than 100 yards--an American-style football field--while featuring a full complement of wristwatch features such as a chronograph, alarm, calendar, and water resistance up to 328 feet. The … Read more

If you've ever spent much time in the Pacific Northwest, you'd understand why Oregon Scientific is obsessed with weather gadgets. And if you've ever spent much time in England, you'd be sympathetic.

It makes perfect sense, therefore, that U.K.-based Pocket-lint jumped on a new item from the Portland company that claims to forecast the next day's weather with sophisticated meteorological functions crammed into a wristwatch. The "Meteo" tracks barometric pressure trends displayed on a reverse LCD screen to predict atmospheric conditions 12 to 24 hours ahead.

The waterproof gadget also serves … Read more

On a traipse through Chinatown Singapore recently, my attention was riveted by a man behind a plate glass, eye loupe pinched to one eye like a cyclops. Peering myopically at watch components so tiny they were almost invisible, I held my breath as he cleaned each bitty part with supreme care. Those of his ilk may soon be a vanishing trade if Urwerk's air-powered watch becomes the next new standard.

It's likely the world's first timepiece to use this method of regulating the winding system. Given that it employs a three-position selector switch that controls the level … Read more

Despite the best efforts of many industrious Chinese start-ups, multi-functional wristwatches are still far from commonplace--whether they provide music, video, phone service, or all of the above. But no market (or device) is too small for the ubiquity of Windows operating systems.

Epoq, which has already had a video watch on the market for some time, has developed what is believed to be the first wristwatch running Windows Mobile 5. Its EGP-WP98B claims to have an OLED touch screen, 1.28GB of memory, Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth, VoIP support, and--get this--handwriting recognition. And a faux alligator wristband, of course. But as … Read more

Maybe there's something to this latest watch phone trend after all. Barely a day after posting an item about a model that didn't send people rushing for the vomitoria, we see that another one has surfaced to pique our interest.

The WM2 from Netherlands-based Van Der Led (we'd never heard of them either) has come up with an innovative solution to the obvious challenge of limited real estate on such gadgets, embedding a keypad on the wristband.

Other specs include Bluetooth, 1GB of built-in storage, 300 minutes of talk time, and 240 hours on standby, according to … Read more

Tag Heuer and other name brands may be taking their own sweet time in developing a watch phone, but others certainly aren't waiting around to see what they come up with. Unfortunately most of the models we've seen are of dubious origin and quality from generic Chinese manufacturers.

Worse yet, many of these items are of abominable design. The latest model, however, actually makes an effort to look like something that wouldn't be seen hanging in the checkout lane at Safeway. Despite its unfortunate name, the "Cool G108" is a clamshell-style watch phone with a … Read more

MP3 watches are slowly being introduced by U.S. companies, but for the most part they're still largely an overseas phenomenon (and, in some cases, that's not a bad thing). So it makes sense that some manufacturers and distributors are trying to come up with new ways to market them.

The oddly named Goldlantern Bluex watch aims to do just that, according to GadgetGrid, by coming bundled with Bluetooth headphones for a package of products that actually look decent. The water- and shock-resistant watch has 1GB of built-in storage, a USB port, rechargeable lithium ion battery, and aluminum … Read more

If you thought only cockroaches would survive a nuclear holocaust, here's something else to add to the rarefied list--Zenith's Defy Xtreme Zero-G Watch. Its makers have apparently imbued this timepiece with the powers of Superman since it not only defies gravity (being accurate even in extreme gravity), but it's also waterproof down to 1,000 feet. You can read about the technology behind this feat at the Web site. Did we mention it costs $500,000? Yes, that's five zeros.

As for bodywork, it's armored in a blackened titanium body, with a titanium strap sporting … Read more