Seiko Active Matrix unveiled at Basel 2010

[dot matrix]

I wasn't sure where to post this, since it's neither LED nor LCD. Seiko's new active matrix display watch, unveiled this year at Basel:



Seiko also displayed a few of their earlier digitals, including the first 6-digit LCD (from 1973), the first TV watch, and their Final Fantasy digital. These can all be seen at NicoH's Basel report, about 2/3rds of the way down; which is also where the above picture came from.

[bucko170]

I found an explanation of the 'active matrix' display from seiko.......

http://www.seikowatches.com/press/2010/ ... 03-06.html

[rewolf]

Is the watch in the photo real? Look at the date.
Anyway - a high contrast and high resolution configurable watch display would be really nice. But to make my buy it they'd have to use a different font and put the whole thing into an attractive case.

BTW: An "active matrix" is LCD. "Matrix" because it has pixels organized in rows and columns instead of segments. "Active" because every pixel has its own transistor to keep it in the desired state during the whole screen refresh period while other pixels are driven... well, better continue here

Noteable: they write that the Seiko TV was "world's first TV watch with Active Matrix display" - but I BET it has a PASSIVE matrix LCD, considering its very poor contrast.

[abem]

That Seiko looks decent and all - nice clean easy to read font, but it's hardly cutting edge technology. Ooooh, active dot matrix. Big deal. This should have been a standard feature on watches at least 10 years ago. I'm also not particularly enamored with e-ink since fantastic LCD and OLED displays are avaialble that display gorgeous color with higher resolution and don't use much more power. If you need good sunlight and nighttime readability, go with a transflective LCD like on the iPhone. I just don't see the need for e-ink.

The technology has existed for years and years to create a watch that has not only a beautiful bitmapped display, but also does everything your iPod does in a small, lightweight (not oversized) package for an inexpensive price.

For example, below are some actual photos (not Photoshopped) of my trusty Aigo F029 multimedia watch with a very contrasty and sharp 160x120 OLED display. It has better sound quality than my iPhone or iPod, plays video, shows pictures and cost less than 100 bucks. It's also almost 5 years old.

So, why hasn't this technology been adopted and advanced? Watch makers are watch buyers are too conservative. Tradition has its place, but sometimes it's time to forge ahead and build new classics like Pulsar did 35 years ago.

p.s. Don't buy any of the cheap MP3 watches that are on the market today - they all suck, are very cheaply made, have lousy displays, poor sound quality, etc. This model was the only decent one and it was discontinued soon after release.

[abem]

This homebrew watch project also has some nifty animated time displays - better than my Fossil OLED. There's a spinning 3D vector font, a blobby font where the digits morph from one to the next, a blocky tetris like font, a basic Helvetica font etc.
http://www.aeolab.com/aeolog/?m=200708

Too bad this project never seems to have made it to market. They planned to make the C libraries available so anyone could write their own software and create their own animated time displays. An open source digital watch!

-abe.

[LEDluvr]

Thanks for sharing Abem. I've seen these type of watches on ebay plenty of times and thought they were all poorly made with photoshop displays . I didn't realise there was actually a good one made.
And now they don't make it anymore......

I have to agree with your sentiments 100% = the technology is out there to make a new 'revolution in watches' but the will is not out there. It seems everyone wants to play follow the leader, and not take the risks necessary to BE the leader.

[abem]

To be fair, the watch makers are in a difficult situation. First, new technology electronic watches have historically been losers so there's little incentive to innovate. Second, the watch industry is so rooted in tradition that the companies that have the brand recognition don't have the technology and the companies that have the technology don't have the brand recognition.

Would you spend $200 for a nice stainless steel Aigo? I'm guessing "no". How 'bout a Hamilton or Bulova - maybe several times that amount? What about a Fossil or a Diesel? For something like this to work, it would have to be a joint effort with the technology provided by an electronics company in the far East and the styling and marketing done by a company with some branding muscle.

I'm guessing that the most likely candidate would probably be a company like Fossil or Diesel that already outsources all of their technology and has a younger customer base and can take a bit of a risk. Fossil took a bet on both the Palm watch and the Microsoft Spot watches, both of which turned out to be big losers. The Palm and SPOT watches failed for good reason since the tech wasn't ready yet for the Palm (it had to be recharged every other day or you'd lose your data) and the SPOT required a monthly subscription fee which is ridiculous.

It's too bad that we probably won't ever see an Apple "iWatch" since phone loving technophiles have declared wristwatches to be dead. It would have also been neat to see Hamilton use up-to-date technology in their 40th anniversary Pulsar rip-off instead of using 30 year old technology dressed up to look up-to-date.

-abe.

[morelite]

I do like that new Seiko and can't wait till they come out. Hopefully they offer an all stainless steel version without the black PVD coating.

[AlmightyTallest]

I'm waiting for the new Seiko EPD watch as well,

In the meantime, I found some videos of the watch in action, you can see the different fonts and the varying shades of grey the display goes through in each video, though there's other interesting watches as well in these videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szo0iKjJd6I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moArUSCWZ5Y

I like the various fonts they show and the transitions into the next font.

[rewolf]

Looks really good on the videos, excellent contrast and viewing angle - and 300dpi resolution simply means you can't see any pixel structure if you're older than 45

The "transitions" is just the slow reaction time of the electrophoresis display.

But apart from the vintage 3-button 06LC and the TV watch (which BTW I'm sure does NOT have an active matrix LCD as claimed) I could only spot boring and/or ugly timepieces (watches with hands - I mean, come on, we're through it, in all possible variations, why make new ones every year that look just a tiny bit different from the old ones - show us something NEW please! Instead: the millionth diver's watch, now with orange instead of yellow bezel etc. - wow, what an innovation! Currently, many watch faces are so cluttered with all kinds of decoration that it's almost impossible to read time because you can't find the hands)

[AlmightyTallest]

I agree on the analog watches, I wasn't going to say anything about the classic analog style timepieces because there's something for everyone, but in my opinion that Seiko E-ink watch is the most innovative watch I have seen displayed at Basel.

[LEDluvr]

(watches with hands - I mean, come on, we're through it, in all possible variations, why make new ones every year that look just a tiny bit different from the old ones - show us something NEW please! Instead: the millionth diver's watch, now with orange instead of yellow bezel etc. - wow, what an innovation! Currently, many watch faces are so cluttered with all kinds of decoration that it's almost impossible to read time because you can't find the hands)

LOL! Amen brother!

[AlmightyTallest]

UPDATE!!!!

Looks like this watch is actually going to make it to store shelves with a chance of being affordable. Though there's a rumor in the link of it still being $1200....

It's radio controlled, it's also solar powered, it has that cool high contrast E-ink display that can be edited to suit you. And for some the design is a bit of a turn off, but it still looks kinda cool retro 80's

Link here: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/08/se ... ink-watch/

I think I know what I want for Christmas

[Huertecilla]

I think I know what I want for Christmas

And?
Did you get one?

Despite the response by mainstream mechanical wis, the rc/solar high accuracy quartz EPD really ís something truely innovative news on the market.
Imo it beats SD hands down because interesting as that may be, it is not óne step forward. EPD givess the digital display 21st c. technology and - legibility.

[jones38]

clear, clean digital face. Great watch. Seiko didn't disappoint.

[Huertecilla]

clear, clean digital face.

Actually it is not a ´digital´ watch as we are accustomed to devide watches between analogue and digital.
It represenst time in various graphical ways and thus is best called a ´graphic´ watch.

I am serious though; it is neither analogue nor digital no ana-digi. It represents time in various formats among which a card game.