It has become – at least to my eyes – more and more difficult for watches to stand out on the crowd-funding platforms, especially when you’re talking about a slim, quartz-driven two-hander. Then you have something like the FreakishWATCH come along, and you’ve no problem seeing the watch amidst the sea of “me too” projects.
The FreakishWATCH first stood out for me due to the bold color on the yellow variant (which shows up on the strap and minute hand). This was quickly followed by realizing how the watch is telling time. Of course, using discs with cutouts is nothing new (and it’s something Mr. Jones, for instance, does quite well). What is different here is how the cutout fulfills a dual purpose.
Obviously, the cutout on the dial of the FreakishWATCH is to take the place of the hour hand, and it rotates as you would expect it to, to indicate the hour. As an added bonus, the numerals of the hour show up there as well. This is redundant, sure, but it does enhance the quick-read capability of the watch, not having to translate the pie wedge to the hour.
At first, I was thinking that this could be a good watch to help my children learn how to tell time on an analog dial. Thinking about it further, though, I don’t think the FreakishWATCH is the one for doing that with. Really, reading the hour on an analog dial isn’t the tricky part, it’s translating the minutes. So, this isn’t the one for my kids. If it is for yours, the compact 36mm case (under 4.5mm tall) will fit quite well onto a smaller wrist.
At the time of this writing, the project is 40% funded, with things wrapping up on December 15, 2016. Before then, of course, you can jump in on the project, with earlybird pricing starting at $108. This is one of those things that I do really like seeing popping up on the crowd-funding sites – unique and fun designs that you don’t see popping up many places outside of places like Projects Watches and the aforementioned Mr. Jones. Then again, maybe it’s just that shot of Italian influence in the design winning me over. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think about this latest watch. project page
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: FreakishWatch
- Price: $108 and up
- Who we think it might be for: You want a design that puts a clever form onto it’s function
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Probably not – the case size is a bit on the small side for my tastes
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: The minute hand could stand to be a bit longer.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: It’s a clever twist on the standard two-hander design.
Tech Specs
- Flat glass steel case
- Hour disc in aluminum
- Genuine leather strap
- Water-resistant till 3 meters
- Case diameter: 36.00 mm
- Case thickness: 4.35 mm
- Designed in Florence (Italy) by Sabrina Fossi Design
