kisai

Crave giveaway: Tokyoflash Kisai Upload wristwatch

Congrats to Marika of Stirling, N.J., for winning last week's giveaway, a big bundle of back-to-school gifts.

Now, pun intended, it's time for this week's giveaway, a Tokyoflash Kisai Upload wristwatch. We've covered products from this purveyor of creative and sometimes perplexing timepieces before, and the latest model is just as eye-catching as the rest.

The futuristic-looking watch has an LCD display with a cryptic arrangement of lines and blocks that might make some wonder if you're a human bar code. Tilt your wrist to read the digital time at a glance (amusingly, Tokyoflash specifies that the optimum viewing angle is between 30 and 45 degrees). Push the lower button to display the date and the upper button to activate the colored LED backlight. … Read more

Crave giveaway: Tokyoflash Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch

Do you know what time it is? That's right, it's that time of the week known as the Crave giveaway, and this week's prize just happens to offer a pretty cool way of keeping pace.

Up for grabs is the Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch, a modern take on the classic pocket watch. Made by Tokyoflash, it features an always-on touch display, as well as an LED backlight, and comes with a spring-hinged mineral crystal lens cover.

Though it looks like you need to understand some futuristic language to tell time, it's actually quite simple. The outside ring features 12 blocks that represent the hour, while the minutes are marked by the 60 smaller dots just inside the ring. There's even a second set of rings, in case you want to keep track of a different time zone, and you can rotate through the watch's various functions (date, alarm, and so forth) using the touch display.

Normally, the Tokyoflash Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch would cost you $169, but you have a chance to get this geeky accessory for free. There are some rules, though, so please take the time to read them carefully. There will be a test. … Read more

Tokyoflash optical illusion watch will make your eyes cross

Remember those Magic Eye posters that were popular back in the '90s? You know, the ones where you'd focus your eyes on a 2D image and then boom, out of nowhere, a 3D image would appear? Well, that's the inspiration behind a new watch by Tokyoflash.

The Kisai Optical Illusion watch is the latest geeky accessory from Tokyoflash, and at first glance, the face of the watch just looks like a dizzying maze of lines. But of course, there's more than meets the eye.

As with the Magic Eye images, after staring at the display for a bit, you should be able to make out the hour and minutes presented in digit form. Tokyoflash says the time will be easy to see once you've trained your eyes, but if that's not the case, you can simply tap the touch screen to reveal the time. … Read more

A pocket watch for today's distinguished geek

Tokyoflash is well-known for producing some futuristic watches, and the company has done it again.

The Kisai Rogue Touch Pocket Watch is a modern take on the classic pocket watch and features a hybrid LCD/LED interface. The always-on LCD allows you to read the watch at a glance, while an LED backlight can provide extra illumination when needed. A touch display also lets you to change the modes (e.g., time, date, alarm, and so forth) and comes with a spring-hinged mineral crystal lens cover. … Read more

Kisai RPM acetate watch only slightly confusing

It's been some time since we mentioned the crazy kids who work at Tokyoflash Japan, notorious for its brainbuster alien-tech timepieces.

Look upon their latest work, ye watch lovers, and despair.

The Kisai RPM Acetate may look like a Tron disc, but it's not nearly as confusing as some of the other Tokyoflash puzzlers.

The RPM is inspired by turntables and DJ culture, and the Acetate is a revamp of an earlier stainless steel version.

It's made from glossy, hand-cut acetate and is available in white, blue, and a range of patterns like Tempest, above.

All come with a seamless "butterfly" clasp. It's USB-rechargeable, and a 3.5-hour juicing will keep it going for a month.

Telling the time with the Kisai RPM is fairly straightforward (it's no Sensai Alloy). You have to push a button to light the time-indicating LED display, which consists of concentric rings. … Read more

Crave giveaway: Kisai Wasted watch

For this week's giveaway, we're getting pretty geeky, and we're going to Japan to get the goods. Feast your eyes upon the Kisai Wasted watch from Tokyoflash. That's right: Wasted. The tag line for this LED timepiece is "Intoxicated timing."

As the promo copy says, "You've taken a hit and your senses are coming alive. You try to stay focused as a hyper energetic mix of bright lights and vivid colors overpower your mind, but it's too late. You're under the influence of Kisai Wasted."

Though you might think … Read more

Go medieval with stained-glass USB watch

Japan watchmaker Tokyoflash loves to confuse us with its eccentric, maddening timepieces that are nearly impossible to use. But its latest wrist accessory is decidedly simpler, even medieval, and may actually be usable. The Kisai Broke is being billed as "a new way to read time that's almost like a regular clock." Wow.

The $169 Broke features "shattered timing" on its church-window face, a mosaic of LEDs under a mineral crystal lens that's set in a brushed stainless steel case. When you push a button on the side, the LEDs start to blink to … Read more