Contraform watch forms digits as cryptic discs rotate.

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Design submitted by Igor from Canada.

Igor says: The idea came up while brainstorming on new ideas for my Shattered Clock project. It was a while ago, so I can’t recall what exactly inspired me.

I call this design Contraform. Due to the counter form you’re reading the number from.

This design makes use of negative space. Two shapes overlap and form a number in between. Left disc is moving clockwise and has a minute hand in the center, the right one is turning counterclockwise.

It’s quite easy to tell time. If you can read a number – you can tell time. If you see two broken numbers, then the time is between these hours.

Any person who is seeking attention. Geeks, artists, designers, programmers, hipsters, fashion people, people who like 3d-printed jewelries and everything new and unique.

The field of unique analog watches remains quite undiscovered. Most of them are just an hour hand and minute hand coloured in different combinations. I think this watch can inspire people to think out of the box and seek for alternative ways in everything.

10 thoughts on “Contraform watch forms digits as cryptic discs rotate.”

  2. This reminds me of a couple of my own concepts, I had the same idea to use negative space. I never managed to make it work though, my Fragment submission is the closest I got…=)

    While I think this design will need to be worked out more fully, the display is certainly new and interesting. good luck with it!

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    • Thanks Anders,
      You’re right, the display concept is the only thing I was working on. Initially it supposed to be a wall clock, and I just had an idea about a wrist watch but didn’t work on the design at all.

      If any designer with experience in this field wants to collaborate, I’m open for a collaboration.

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  3. Like the other guys I have had several ideas in the past to try and create digits by some machanical method. Arcane Orbit and Quad orbit were the closest I got. I could never find a simple feasible solution, this may be the answer!
    If the left and disc was the powered one (by a regular movement) and the right one was powered by the left one (via gear teeth) this would give you the anti-clockwise movement and garentee both turned at the same spped. The mintes would be its own disc as per a conventional watch. The only issue I see is what it might look like between exact hours, would you still be able to tell the time etc? Definately potential here so 5/Y and best of luck sir! 😀

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    • Thanks Pete.

      Your collection of designs blows my mind 🙂 I found you Orbit watches. Definitely look interesting. At first I thought it’s the same idea I used in this one: http://shatteredclock.com/clocks/liquid-crystal/demo/
      In your watches it’s only possible if there’s a mechanism that would instantly “tick” to the next position, which can be done I think.

      Yes, your thoughts on the technical details are pretty much the same as I had. The left disc is powered by a regular movement. The minute shaft has a minute hand and the hour shaft got a gear underneath that turns the left gear.

      The time between is pretty easy to tell. Here’s a flash demo if you want to take a look: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0jwdnpposixp9dm/contraform-horizontal-2.swf

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  4. How did you even figure out how to design this, Igor? Cool idea! Have you considered narrowing the watch by increasing the overlap of the discs, so you would have negative spaces INSIDE the discs instead at the edges?

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    • Thanks. It’s a third iteration of the display concept, the first one really wasn’t that pretty and required much larger diameter of the discs.
      I don’t know if it’s possible to overlap discs even more keeping the same readability and gaps between numbers. Some parts can become too narrow.
      But if you know how it’s possible I’m open to suggestions.

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  6. hello Igor..i have some idea but since my idea is the same concept with you therefore it is better if i just tell you..i wondering why don’t you take the view from the side of the interlocking gear. (In your original idea you take the view from the top). then the two gear will rotate around the more bigger circle to give minutes….then you just put some light (LED) to gives some futuristic approach…sorry if you cannot understand this..i am new here..Really hope you read this. thank you.

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  7. I like the idea. I like what the case would look like. It could be similar to the “MB&F HM1” watch. I would prefer straight strap with a width of 50% of the case. I would prefer a strap over a band. I feel like there’s something missing in the right circle, perhaps the second hand.

    At 1st, before reading, I though it was an e-paper. It may be easier to make, but would look less good than 2 disks & 1 hand.

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