Magnetic INCH watch: Customise your own design.

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Design submitted by Sam from Germany.

Sam says: This project ran under the working title “chameleon” just like my Canvas watch concept did. I have fun, creating adaptable concepts. It’s a contemporary feature because it’s fun to customise. Canvas was a relatively high tech version of the chameleon idea. This watch – Inch – is a haptical and simple version. One inch, that is the width of a strap in any flexible material which you can stick into the watch and therefore adapting it to your taste.

The watch consists of two elements. The base is a metal case with an analog mechanism containing a magnetic watch hand. The top is made of a special plastic – soft in the strap area, hard in the case area. The straps are hollow so you can insert a strap of material like cloth, wallpaper, photograph etc., whatever you like. There are two “helping holes” in the inner face of the straps. They help you inserting/removing the custom strap if necessary. The case has a separate chamber covered by a square glass window. This chamber contains a small metal ball which reacts to the magnet in the base section. So the time is shown by this metal ball. The watch hand is always in the hour position, so you get a quick glance of the time already. Pressing a button makes the watch hand move to the minute position, letting it stay there for five seconds and returning to the hour position. Another button illuminates an LED on the opposite side of the case. Since the case is transparent and reflective, the lateral light should illuminate the whole display. There are no indicators in the display. If you need them, print or draw them on your custom strap in the style you like.

People who like to wear thousands of watches at the price of one, might love this watch. You can adapt its appearance to anything you can imagine: mood, events (movie, party, sports), your clothes, the place you visit, any kind of merchandising. I think I forgot a lot… You can apply your own style or grab it from the internet – there are unlimited possibilities.

This watch is one and thousand in the meantime. It can look however you want, so Inch is unique in a special way.

46 thoughts on “Magnetic INCH watch: Customise your own design.”

  3. +awesome
    +wonderful
    +stupendous
    +magnetized – will attract everyone! 😉
    +gorgeous in pure state
    +easily customizable to taste
    +easy to read
    -none
    5*/yes
    Best of luck with this one, Sam! 😀

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  6. If it can be done I’ll be the first one to buy or at least one of the first 100! (sounds familier hehe)
    Im obviously a big fan of the magnetic concepts by default.
    I remember seeing this on your fb page but for some reason it looks even more awesome on the blog.
    I love the time telling method and the customisation. If you can make it TF do! 5 stars and Yes sir!

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  8. Truly enviable your imagination creating designs, Sam. Quantity and quality. I wish I was like you. 😛
    Although, the watch display (in my opinion) could be better, can be improved.
    Anyway 5* and Yes. 🙂

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    • Thanks alot Ignatius!! Nice to read 🙂

      Yeah, I thought about improvements. Black ball, bigger ball, circle disc, a ring, a small stick. I also thought about two balls, but the magnets would interfere with each other, worst case: two balls in one place. This is the most simple version I could make but it’s not necessarily the final verdict. If it’s about readability, one has to take care of it oneself 😛

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      • Bigger balls is an interesting idea. Most wouldn’t want a small stick, though I think. Two balls in one place would be the worst case, indeed.

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  9. i normally love what you do sam. some of your designs are the best i’ve seen period.
    however, i’m not a fan of this one.

    it IS creative…….just not for me.

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  11. I really like the idea of 100% customisable! Its a great idea! But i too would like a better way of reading. As LCD screens can be clear, maybe make a digital display “hover” over the screen. Rather than the single ball.

    V cool, but i can imagine it a bit odd to read when drunk!

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    • Cool 😀 Oh yes, LCD can be transparent and it was an option early. But the numbers interfered with the most background patterns and often the black wasn’t seen well. I didn’t develop that idea any further but just now I would have a solution…hmmmm. Well, for this concept I chose the metall ball to have more freedom for the custom strip. Not 100% optimal, I have to agree, but quite a diversion. Oh, and when you’re drunk, it’s time to go home 😉 Rascal, thanks alot for your feedback!!

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    • I think I agree with Rascle here. Perhaps having a semi-transparent E-ink in the top layer of glass, that way the timing method would essentially draw on top of the strip that’s used for customization.

      Overall, great concept, I could see it going analog with the magnetic ball, LCD, E-Ink would all be viable and fun.

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      • The solution that came up recently, is close to this, but wayyyyy cheaper 😀 Will work on it soon. But it’s cool, you can see this concept with different time telling techniques and technologies. Thanks for your feedback Cory!!

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  14. This is sweet I am all for custom watches. This would be so cool to make. I colored one of my old watches but it didn’t work to well. I would make so many different designs. This is just awesome. Make this Tokyoflash!

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  15. Not my cup of tea, but its clearly creative and outstanding design. A very good item as mesmerizing present. Must be featured on Oprah or the Ellen show!

    —————————————–
    Tokyoflash Ni multicolour LED
    Sensai Black
    Twelve 5-9 Q version black
    Shinshoku / Corrosion
    Kisai RPM Acetate granite
    Kisai Kaidoku black+blue LCD
    Kisai Seven white LED

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  16. AMAZING CONCEPT!!!! This is what we need, a watch that we can make our own in any way we like! Ingenious idea with the whole ball and magnet, definetly an alternative to the classic watch style. I would like to maybe see a slightly larger ball so it’s easier to read. But other than that, I really hope this gets made!

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  17. The work is always perfect as the imagination of Sam, 5 * / Yes!

    Personally if I buy a watch of Sam, I would not distort it by applying something that would take away a little of his personality. A watch of Sam or Pete or Firdaus…, for me is unique and also buy his own personality and taste, this is just my idea and it does not necessarily reference.

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    • Thank you Patrick for your feedback!

      That’s a comprehensible point you mention. But beware, on one hand you have something stylish and precious, but other people can have it too (not much though, I must admit). On the other hand you buy something “faceless” but you can make it 100% unique. 🙂

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  18. Well Sam, once again…=)
    Great concept, it’s always fascinating to see how little you use to do so much. I hadn’t thought of anything like it and when I saw it my reaction was ‘Oh… Of course!’ Kudos, man…
    That said however, it’s not without its problems. The form factor could be… (looking for the right word) … Sleeker. =) It’s a matter of taste of course, and TF would no doubt do their thing with it if they decide to make it (which I hope they do). More serious, though, is the issue of readability as some other posters have alreday mentioned. In some of your renderings the little metal ball simply disappears. Difficult to say if it wiould IRL as well, but I don’t think it’d be very easy to read. It’s an elegant solution, no doubt, but I can’t help but feel that it could be improved. Anyway, very nice work, and I’m sure you’ll keep it up (there seems to be no stopping you)…=)

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  19. Oh yes, I won’t disagree with any improvable point you mention. I do see the little issues of this project, which is almost 6 months old by now. Much has changed since then – in the blog and therefore in the way we percieve things. That’s why I like this blog, it makes you wanna improve 😀 I’m puzzling around for an alternative version and as I’m writing this, I’m getting another cool idea… oh this will be awesome!

    As for the first passage, yes, it’s pretty simple and it’s hard to believe, I’m the first with this idea.

    Anders, thanks alot for your perspective and your detailed view!!!

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  21. omfg why didn’t anybody else think of that? that’s just amazing! I wanted it before I read the text. I cannot tell what I would stick in it cause it’s too much to tell. I would wear a different strap every day, maybe even several different ones each day. I could ask my tailor if he has some suit left for my watch so it would suit me perfectly when I have a working dinner. one little thing, two metal balls would’ve been better. if tokyoflash doesn’t make it, please make it yourself. hypothetical *************************/YES!

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    • Oh I know the feeling (wanting before knowing). Yeah, I would do the same and build up a huge strip collection. Two balls hm? xD Well there is pro and contra about two metal balls. I’m having another idea among others for this concept. Let’s see how this one goes, then I’m publishing more. The suit fabrics idea is so cool! Thank you for your input Acan!!

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