timepiece

As timepieces become more of a fashion accessory than a necessity, established watchmakers such as Citizen find themselves in a bit of an evolutionary pickle: "How do we remain relevant?"

Perhaps the answer to that question falls upon the company's new line of watches called Proximity. The watches offer low-power Bluetooth 4.0 functionality and a partner app (inconspicuously named Citizen Eco-Drive Proximity) that only works with the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5. Sorry about that Android and Windows Phone. … Read more

Timing is everything, especially in the "Star Wars" saga. For example, had Han Solo missed that critical shot on the TIE fighter in the trenches of the Rebel assault on the first Death Star, Luke Skywalker would have been toast -- and so would the rebellion against the Empire.

On October 12, Japanese watchmaker Seiko commemorates "Star Wars" in a new collection of themed watches with a collective run of only 5,000 pieces. Six popular characters from the movies each get their own model: Darth Vader, Darth Maul, C-3PO, R2-D2, Yoda, and the lemming-like Stormtrooper. … Read more

A gentleman's timepiece should never be too exuberant, but Crave feels compelled to give a curious nod to the ultra-expensive Pac-Man and Space Invaders watches by Swiss timepiece crafter RJ-Romain Jerome. Each dial features a miniature replica design of the arcade classics set in a pixelated appearance.

Perhaps understated from first glance, these geeky watches (waterproof to 98 feet) with rubber straps contain some real stellar inspirations. For starters, each steel timepiece features real fragments of the Apollo 11 lunar module, and the designer took it a step further by modeling the four joints of the watch after lunar landing module legs. To top off the extravagance, the back of the watches contain low-oxidation silver mixed with real moon rocks, specially patterned like the lunar surface. … Read more

The DeepX watch from Quiksilver might be your best asset in the water this summer. The sporty timepiece also includes an advanced database of 2,000 popular surf spots around the world with tide information calculated by a professional oceanographer to determine the precise latitude and longitude of the coastline.

Developed and tested by some of the hardest surf riders around, the DeepX tide can also beam information on your local coast through radio frequencies built right into the watch. Quiksilver also claims its calculations are more accurate than most tide charts because it calculates information specifically for every spot, … Read more

By now, you've probably gotten used to expecting a lot more from a smartphone than just the ability to place calls. Do you know that watches can now do a lot more than just tell time?

To wit, watch maker Timex announced on Monday its latest evolution in outdoor time-keeping instruments, the Timex Expedition WS4.

About the size of a normal wristwatch, with a wide-screen dashboard, the WS4 includes an altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass. It can also serve as, of course, a versatile timepiece, chronograph, alarm, and timer.

The WS4 is designed to perform under extreme conditions and … Read more

In the course of everyday duty Crave has witnessed some ghastly laboratory experiments that have made for some unnaturally grafted appendages, but there are some gadgets that are deformed from the outset. This combo remote watch falls squarely into that category.

There have been other watches that double as remotes, some of them even featuring a touch screen, but this one looks like it has a goiter sticking out of it. The watch is made in China, according to Technabob, which explains its price--$7.25. That even includes the faux jade-looking buttons, putting it on par with none other … Read more

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

It never fails. Everytime we vow not to get sucked into another mystery marketing campaign, we end up giving in. We're not sure if it's sheer nosiness or plain stupidity--probably both.

Just as we were drawn against our will to Lenovo's secretive "Reserve Edition" ThinkPad site and B&O's "Serenata" countdown page, we're now hooked on an ultra-exclusive watch appropriately called the "Incognito 2008." Still only a concept that won't be delivered until next year, the watch nevertheless appeared at an auction in Monaco where the bidding … Read more

Talk about cruel irony. Just as some companies are finally developing smart watches that perform a multitude of functions ranging from video to phone features, reports persist that people may be giving up on wristwatches altogether.

But if products like the "iMobile C1000" continue their rapid development, it could forestall the death of the wrist timepiece indefinitely. This multimedia watch phone claims to be much less bulky than other models while still offering video, audio and Bluetooth, as well as a 1.5-inch color touch screen, according to Newlaunches. Before it can take the world by storm, however, … Read more