TokyoFlash Japan is no stranger to our site. They produce fun digital watches that typically have unique ways to display the time. Recently, they reached out to us offering a watch for a hands on review, and I thought it would be interesting to look at the TokyoFlash Japan Kisai On Air, a digital take on a one hand watch.
The On Air is a mix of two analog watch styles, the one hander and the jumping hour watch. An analog jumping hour one hander would be an almost useless watch style, since the watch would provide no indication of where it is within the hour. It would display 12:00 for 60 minutes and then jumps to 1:00 in one step. The TokyoFlash Japan Kisai On Air does exactly this, but with the digital display, it uses the hour hand itself to display the minutes.
There are twelve segmented LCD displays arranged radially around the face. At 12:00, the segments that are lined vertically display the minutes. at 1:00, the next radial set of segments take over, and so forth. In date mode, the hour hand represents the month, while the segments display the day.
In practice, this makes for a very uncluttered and yet readable display. When I look at a lot of other TokyoFlash Japan watches, I get the impression that there is a learning curve to be able to tell time easily. Eventually, you will be able to read the watch at a glance, but it is going to take time. With the On Air, the display is very intuitive. Now, the readout for the minutes could be a little bigger, but I have 48 year old eyes that went through a round a Lasik corrective surgery more than 15 years ago.
Even with that, I can read the time with little difficulty. But someone glancing at your wrist is going to be puzzled for a moment, and will probably ask you about the watch. And that is one of the great things (in my opinion) about TokyoFlash watches. They will get people to ask you about your watch.
The watch is also very handsome, looking like one of the more attractive smart watches now hitting the market. The case is a black plated stainless steel, 44mm in diameter. There is no crown, the watch is adjusted through the touch display panel. The lugs taper into the matching bracelet, with a locking fold over clasp.
Without the crown or any other visual clues (there is no branding that jumps out), it takes me a moment whenever I put it on to make sure it is sitting in the correct orientation on my wrist. Now, there is a “Kisai” etched into the case where the crown would be, but it is very subtle. The caseback has a little more branding, and that is it.
In addition to the time display, there is the date function, an alarm, a very effective light mode, and an animation mode. The watch is currently only available in the green on green color scheme shown here. There were four other colors, red on red, blue on blue and black on silver, but these are sold out, and I do not know if they will be coming back. If you are looking for a little variety, and want something that is a tad different but not too out there, the TokyoFlash Japan Kisai On Air may be worth a look. tokyoflash.com/en
- Brand & Model: TokyoFlash Japan Kisai On Air
- Price: $199
- Who’s it for?: Those that want something offbeat, but readable.
- Would I wear it?: Yes.
- What I’d change: The minute readout could be a bit bigger.
- The best thing about it: It does not look like an oddball design.
