DOTRIX LCD watch: Cryptic, but intuitive.

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Design submitted by Lloyd from Australia.

Lloyd says: “Dotrix” is an LCD concept watch that displays the time and date with a code that uses unique patterns of dots to represent numbers.

The code is very easy to understand and decipher once you know how. The letters in the numbers zero to nine have been substituted for dots. The short letters (e, n, o, r, s, v, w, x and z) have each been substituted for a single dot and the tall ones (f, g, h, i and t) have each been substituted for 2 dots, arranged one on top of the other. The groups of dots are especially easy to decode because the shapes of the groups of dots closely resemble the shapes of the original numbers they represent.

In case you’re in a hurry, there’s a “quick reveal” mode so you can display the time and date with more conventional numbers.

Dotrix has an alarm mode and is USB rechargeable via a computer. It also has an EL backlight which makes the display easier to read at night. The watch’s case and strap are made from stainless steel and are shown in various combinations of black and silver, but other colours are possible too. The LCD display is also available in different colours and is “always on”. There are fun animations as well which can be displayed at regular intervals.

This design would probably appeal to anyone who likes quirky modern gadgets, games, puzzles, art, creativity and thinking “outside the box”.

It stands out because of its original and easy-to-read cryptic display.

32 thoughts on “DOTRIX LCD watch: Cryptic, but intuitive.”

  1. very cool code…was really really fun figuring out this one on facebook without an explanation! 😉 love it, and i’d buy it. 5*

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  3. What?! No lasers or unreadable barcode numbers? And it doesn’t have an intergrated coffee maker!?

    ONE!

    (I like it)

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  5. To be cryptic is cryptically? (it should certainly learn the alphabet attached?)
    I can read that when the numbers are revealed, but with a lot of explanation, I understand very quickly.
    5 * and Yes to Lloyd, for lots of good reasons!

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  6. Very nice Lloyd! Took me a while to understand it before reading the explanation. But very easy and intuative when you know what your looking for! Nice work as always! 5/Y best of luck sir! 😀

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  7. Cool design. Reminds me of one those little keychain tamagachi pets or whatever they were called when we were younger. I’ll admit it was tough to understand and will take a lot longer to master but when done it’s a cryptic persons dream. And I admire the simplistic nature and look of it. That seems to be what TFJ goes for. Nicely done.

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  9. Actually,
    This watch in spinte of its originallity, remains quite difficult to read… at least when you are not that familiar with english; it is not that intuitive…
    But this is a nice idea!

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    • Yes, bricouille, I can imagine it might be tricky if you don’t speak English very well. 🙂 Maybe the numbers could be displayed in different languages. Thanx for your feedback. 😉

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  10. Damn. That was a tough one for me, Mushy! The ‘i’ was thowing me the most, but I got it. Has the name ‘blur’ been used for a design here?

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  11. First, I don’t understand the idea… :S then, I fully read the post and found what each dot means. I’m agree that non-English speakers would found it hard to read. In Spanish ‘5’/’9′ (“cinco”/”nueve”) and ‘6’/’8′ (“seis”/”ocho”) will look the same using this concept.
    But, because this, I will say 4* (4.5 isn’t possible 😛 )

    P.S.: The “eight” reminds me the doodles of Google 😀

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    • hehe Actually those Spanish numbers are distinguishable, Jorge, because “i” counts as a tall letter (see text) and so is represented by 2 dots. It probably works for other languages too. Thanx for your comment and vote. 😉 Really appreciate it.

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      • I mean, considering ‘c’ as a short letter, it would be:
        6: seis: (s)1 (e)1 (i)2 (s)1
        8: ocho: (o)1 (c)1 (h)2 (o)1

        But I suppose TokyoFlash would find a workaround… it’s a truly cryptic watch.

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      • 😀 ok Jorge thanx for that. Sorry I don’t know too much Spanish. 🙂 The thing is it’s not really that cryptic when you know what’s going on because the dots form the shape of the original words. I just see the groups of dots as words. I guess that’s why TF say it’s “intuitive”. Thanx for your help.

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  12. French numbers work ok. (‘p’ and ‘q’ count as a tall letters):

    0 zero
    1 un
    2 deux
    3 trois
    4 quatre
    5 cinq
    6 six
    7 sept
    8 huit
    9 neuf

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