TokyoFlash has been experimenting with some different case materials as of late, and wood seems to be one of their current favorites. That meant it was only a matter of time before we saw one that was a mashup of ’70s scifi and decor. At least, that’s what I’m picking up from their latest, the Kisai Console Wood.
The sci-fi portion of course comes in from how they’re displaying the time – to me, this looks very much like something that you’d see (or was inspired by) a control panel on a ship of some ’70s space adventure show. Slap that into the wooden case and bracelet, you’ve got the makings of a retro-futuristic watch, especially if you opt for the green LEDs, rather than blue.
This looks to be one of their simpler watches to read. The upper portion of the dial indicates the current hour; minutes are shown in 5-minute increments on the lower portion of the dial. To get the last digit of the minutes, you’ve got the four-segment display marking out the, what else, four minutes between. While this particular watch is limited to displaying the time (no date or alarm functions), it does have an animation that can be triggered.
Surprisingly for a wood-encased watch, the Console comes with a USB port for recharging the watch; it utilizes a user-replaceable rechargeable battery. Another benefit of the use of wood is the fact that it’s much lighter than any metal that could be used, which means total weight is down to 60g – not bad for a watch measuring 32mm x 56mm.
While the wood does have a clear protective layer, I’ve a feeling that if you’re not careful with the watch, it’ll pick up dings and scratches from daily wear. Then again, that could simply be adding some character and appeal to the piece (think of them as battle scars on your space cruiser, perhaps). Whatever your take, at an asking price of $149, it’s a fairly low entry price if this is the sort of look you’re into. Myself, it’s not quite for me, but that’s why there are so many watches out there – something for everyone. tokyoflash.com
