Wait, Braun makes watches? And I bet you thought they just did kitchen appliances and toothbrushes, no? They’ve actually got quite an extensive array of clocks and watches in their collection; today, we’ll be taking a look at one of their more interesting digital watches.When you first see the BN10 (we reviewed a BN0106BKBTG), you might think its just another homage to the segmented LED watches of the 70s. And while the squared off design might hearken from that, this is a truly modern watch.
The most interesting aspect of it is on the lower-left corner of the case – that is a scroll wheel that controls most of the functionality of the watch. By scrolling or pressing the wheel, you can get through the following:
- Time
- 2nd time zone
- Timer
- Countdown timer
- Alarm (loud enough; interesting alternating chime)
To adjust any of these, you just press the scroll wheel in for about three seconds, and you get into an adjustment mode. SCroll up or down to adjust the first digit, short press to get to the next one, and so on. It sounds cumbersome, but it’s actually a pretty quick way of setting the various options. Plus, it’s just fun to play with.
Over on the other side of the case, you’ve got the only other button, which activates the backlight. Now, on our sample, it for some reason took two presses to activate the backlight. Weird, right?
There was one other quibble I have with the watch – the K1 hardened glass crystal is a fingerprint magnet. And you will get your fingers on it when you use the scroll wheel. So, keep a microfiber cloth handy.
Now, this particular watch is available in four combinations – black or silver finish, on a steel bracelet (which I found perfectly comfortable) or rubber strap. Depending on what you choose, pricing starts at $650, and tops out at $800. No, I didn’t accidentally add a zero there – that’s the actual pricing.
In the end, there’s a lot to like about this watch, between the design of the watch and its user interface. It’s just a shame, as the pricing likely puts the novel UI out of reach for many who would be tempted to get one.
