These guys have me confused right now. On the one hand, the TokyoFlash Japan Kisai Vortex LCD watch is probably the nicest looking and most refined watch I have seen from them. On the other hand, what time it? It is a sharp looking watch with their own twist on the actual telling time part of a watch’s function.
First off, let me address the looks. The gunmetal finish on the 44mm stainless steel case and bracelt looks great. My opinion is that it is an underused finish in watchmaking, and it looks great at a high polish like this. The watch also uses a concave mineral glass crystal up front, so that the surface actually dishes inward, toward the display. Curved crystals often looks great, but inverting the curve adds another dimension to the watch, depth. Plus, it goes well with the vortex theme. The control buttons are integrated into the bezel as touch controls, adding to the clean look.
On the function side, the LED is always on, there is an available backlight, the display shows 2 time zones, there is an alarm, and audio feedback and animation is available if you want them activated. As for telling the time, like all TokyoFlash Japan watches, I expect you get used to the display. In this case, there are 6 concentric rings. From the outside in, the display shows seconds, hours and minutes for the first time zone, then hours and minutes for the second zone, then AM/PM for each and alarm status. Minutes and seconds count up, filling in segments from 0 to 59, while one of the 12 hour “blocks” drops out, in jumping hour fashion. The blue image shows 3:45 AM for the main time and 6:45 AM for time zone 2.
The watch is going right now at a launch deal of $179 through the web site, and comes with a 1 year warranty. It is water resistant to 3 ATM, so no swimming with it. There are two color options for the watch, either a blue or red LCD display. Both come in the gunmetal case with the matching bracelet. tokyoflash.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: TokyoFlash Japan Kisai Vortex LCD
- Price: Launch price of $179 (give the page a facebook like for $4 off)
- Who we think it might be for: Graphic designers.
- Would I buy or recommend it just on the photos?: I would certainly recommend it to the right person.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: A way to turn off the second time zone and simplify the display.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: I think it is their most attractive watch I have seen..
