Ventura - Human Powered Digital Watches
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 04. 5.06
Digital watches. Ha! How Cheap. You can almost get them free in a box of cereal these days. Think again. A Swiss company is producing luxury digital timepieces, with many a twist. While the pricing requires a well padded wallet, it’s more the technology employed that intrigued us. In 2000, Ventura launched what they termed the first automatic battery-free (that's the bit we like) digital watch. A “micro-generator driven by the centrifugal forces created by the movements of the wrist”, produces the electricity required. Turn the winder for extra power. A sensor notices when the watch is not being used, and shuts down the liquid crystal display (LCD), yet at the slightest movement it perks up, showing the correct date and time. Originally launched with BMW and winning a Red Dot design award, Ventura are extending the line beyond the Sparc (shown here) to including the funky new v-tec MGS, due out before the end of the year. If the Sparc lights your fire, first check you have the requisite $2,200 USD needed to own one. ::Ventura via Reluct.
See also stories on the malaria detecting watch and the solar powered watch.
Beautiful!
I have a watch similar to this (except not digital) that is made by seiko. They label the technology "kinetic" on the watches. Mine is a "Kinetic auto relay" which means that when it is not getting wound by the movements of your wrist the hands will stop moving but it will keep time internally. Then when you put the watch back on and shake it a few times the hands move to the proper time. I have had this watch for years and love it.
Yes, I should point out the automatic winding is not especially new. It's been around in some analog watches for ages. I have a watch 20 something years old that winds by the motion of just wearing it. But for digital pieces it is an interesting technology.
Automatic watches that run on the energy generated by movement were invented in 1770 and the electronic version since 1988. This is elegant but it isn't new...
Something different for your collection!
This watch looks like it will fall out of style soon, and be 2 grand of landfill in the near future.
I also have the Seiko Kinetic Autorelay, and it's fantastic because it's stainless steel (I'm rough on watches). I picked the style, knowing that it wasn't really trendy. I want to see how long it will last. Four years of daily use, and still looks & works great.
Hey, why not a digital watch that gets ALL it's electric power from the human body? From the nervous system and from static build up.
Walk across a carpet, take your nylon jacket off, etc, or just let the nerve impulses going throughout your body power the watch.....
I have a Citizen Skyhawk Eco Drive solar powered watch. Classic style and if it's out of the light, it has 300+ days of reserve power due to its battery. And it only cost me around 1/10th of this watch.
Hi,
Nice Job, btw...
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Thanks
Kashif
Nice job with the spam, btw, Kashif.