At first, the abundance of Swarovski crystals sounds off-putting, but it is an interesting display method.  We’re looking into getting a sample on-hand to take a closer look…

 

Latest watch from Phosphor blends fashionable nylon band and classic Appear line’s mechanical digital technology

 

(Dallas – December 6, 2011) – American watch brand Phosphor (www.PhosphorWatches.com) announces today the launch of the new Appear Bracelet watch. The Appear Bracelet is the latest edition to the Appear watch line, which features the world’s first mechanical digital watches utilizing Phosphor’s proprietary Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital^TM (M³D) technology.

Powered by M³D technology and featuring a modern, fashionable nylon band, the Appear Bracelet maintains the classic Appear look with a Swarovski crystal-encrusted time-display and colored crystal time display that revolves to reveal the time. The time can also be completely hidden behind crystals, with the colored, time-displaying crystals reveled again with the push of a button. The basic “time” mode features a 12-hour display, with the hours positioned above the minutes on the face. A “seconds” mode is also available.

“Marrying technology and fashion, the new Appear Bracelet provides an affordable and stylish timepiece solution,” said Phosphor’s Managing Director, Donald Brewer. “The Appear Bracelet line is a great addition to Phosphor’s diverse line of watches, perfect for everyone from grandparents to teens.”

The Appear Bracelet watch line is initially debuting with four women’s band styles – pink, amber and clear, amber and white as well as black. Phosphor plans to expand the Appear Bracelet line with the introductions of three new men’s styles, to be released by the end of 2011. The new watch also features a sleek outer rim of silver or black (depending on the style) and incorporates the classic Appear line’s distinctive sound that uniquely marks the passing of time. Other features include a wide viewing angle, low power consumption and water resistance up to 50 meters.

Available online at www.PhosphorWatches.com and at select retailers nationwide, the new Appear Bracelet watch line will retail from $199-$225.

About Phosphor ^TM

Short version: A low-maintenance, good-looking gimmick watch, but e-ink gives the watch weaknesses as well as an interesting look. Recommended if you think you can pull it off.

Features:

• Dual-timezone E-ink display
• Rubber or steel band
• Several face styles
• MSRP: $165

Pros:

• Good-looking, not too sci-fi
• Comfortable
• Showing two timezones can be handy

Cons:

• No backlight; illegible in the dark
• Not suitable for formal occasions

Full review:

I’m not a big fan of gimmick watches. While I love that guys like Tokyoflash are pushing design forward when it comes to wrist wear, I worry that much of their work is too esoteric and could alienate some potential watch nerds with their complexity. The biggest problem, I feel, is that on the low end the watch world is separated, like computer RPGs, into two two camps – the Tolkein-esque “fancy watch” (think Fossil watches that look like they’re from the 1930s) and the Final Fantasy-esque “tech watch.” Luckily, the Phosphor E-Ink World Time straddles the line quite nicely and, as a result, will please almost any watch lover.

The Phosphor E-Ink World Time is a $165 time piece that uses an E-Ink screen to show two timezones simultaneously. The watch, in all modes, is amazingly easy to read and comfortable to wear. It has multiple “face” styles including time only, time/date, and a face that shows one foreign time along with local time. You set the face style by pressing right side of the single button on the face and you set your current country by tapping the left side of the button. You can reverse the type by holding down the left part of the button, creating a black background with white letters. You set the time and date by holding down the right side of the main button.

There is no back-light, a huge issue with watches like these. It is almost useless at night, which makes me sad, but presumably that’s the price you pay for e-ink.

Barring that one complaint, however, generally this is a very low maintenance, set-it-and-forget it watch. You can wear it with jeans – it might be too Star Trek for a suit – and it’s quite large and handsome without looking like a pie plate on your wrist. Phosphor has a unique curved case style that, if you know anything about watchmaking, is amazing and even if you don’t it adds quite a bit of comfort. The rubber band is comfortable as well but I usually recommend getting a steel band if only to prevent eventual cracking.

For $165 the E-Ink World Time is a great timepiece and it definitely doesn’t look like a dork watch. It’s legible, usable, and very cool – it’s a definite conversation starter, even if you won’t enjoy the conversation it starts.

Product Page

I love me some E Ink watches especially when they’re well made and Phosphor makes some of the best ones. Their latest creation is a world time model with 24 timezones and a curved face with steel case. The watch costs $150 and is available on a rubber, leather, or steel band.

Ultra High Contrast: The display is made up of black and pure white particles, which allow contrast comparable to that found on a printed page and more than twice the contrast of a conventional LCD panel. It can be easily read in direct sunlight
Low Power Consumption: Since the display technology is reflective, no backlighting is required. The display also requires no power to maintain an image. For these reasons, battery life can be extended.
Wide Viewing Angle: With a viewing cone of 180 degrees, the electrophoretic technology overcomes the disadvantages of conventional displays when it comes to off-axis viewing. Together with its high contrast, it allows the user to read the time at a glance from any angle.

Product Page

We liked the original Phosphor e-ink watch and these two new models, one complete with calendar.

The Digital Hour model has two views – a digital view and and a “regulator” view with circular hour register as well as a minutes register. It starts at $175.

The Calendar model is a bit weirder. The full calendar appears on the face along with the current time. It starts at $185. All of the watches come on leather, rubber, or steel bands.

Both models are are available now.