Unfortunately, there aren't many options available for the visually
impaired when it comes to timepieces. While a number of talking watches
and braille wristwatches with removable covers are already on the
market, those often draw attention to a person's disability. That's why
watchmaker Eone's debut timepiece, the Bradley, indicates the time with
magnetic ball bearings that can be read subtly by touch.
Bradley Snyder, a naval officer turned paralympic swimmer who lost
his eyesight after an explosion in Afghanistan, provided the inspiration
and namesake for the tactile watch. The design team built the first
prototype of the watch mechanism from Lego pieces and worked extensively
with visually impaired testers to manufacture a functional and
appealing timepiece.
Instead of the usual analog watch hands, which can lose their setting
if touched, the Bradley measures the time using two ball bearings
contained within special channels: one on the front for the minute and
one on the side for the hour. Each bearing is held in place with a
magnet connected to a precise Swiss quartz watch movement inside the
body. Like most other watches, the time is set by turning the crown on
the side.
To read the time, the wearer feels where the balls are located in
relation to the notches on the face, which are distinguishable through
different shapes and textures. Even if a person accidentally nudges the
ball bearings out of place when touching them, a quick shake of the
wrist will lock them back to the correct time. As an added bonus, the
watch is waterproof up to 50 m (164 ft), so users can still keep track
of time while showering and swimming.
The Bradley has been crafted with a minimalist design so it can be
worn in almost any situation and with any outfit. The 40 mm x 11.5 mm
(1.6 in x 0.5 in) body of the watch is made of durable titanium and
designed to be easy to clean – an important feature for something that
will be handled all day. Users will have a choice of watch bands made of
either a stainless steel mesh or a combination of fabric and leather
colored mustard yellow, olive green, or silver blue.
As the designers have pointed out, the Bradley was made with the
visually impaired in mind, but people with full eyesight could get just
as much use from a watch that can be read by hand. Aside from a
distinctive style, the watch makes it easier to surreptitiously check
the time in a dark movie theater or boring business meeting, for
example.
Eone recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring the Bradley
into mass production, which received more than double its original
US$40,000 goal from backers in less than a day. The first batch of
watches has already sold out, but anyone who contributes $128 or more
will receive a watch from the second batch that is due to ship in
December.
For now, though, check out the video below to see how the designers developed the tactile Bradley wristwatch
Multi-tools have come a long way. At one time they were simply pocket knives with a handful of other functions. Today they're tooled smartphone cases, multifunctional snowboards, bike-specific Swiss Army tools and bottle-opening wallets.
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essentials like a hatchet, shovel, compass and bottle opener.
