Seiko Flat LCD Wristwatch
This has been posted on a number of the more popular gadget blogs, but I had to post as I was one of the first people in the US that I know of to have the Seiko AirPro watches back in 2001… I love the Seiko watch efforts… they did a designer watch line called 1418800 that has since been discontinued, but they did some great designs none the less.
This new watch from Seiko uses eInk technolgies (flat paperlike LCD material to produce imagery)…
A 3 x 9 cm electronic paper is curved and embedded along the watch’s bracelet-shaped surface. The e-paper displays a constantly-altering mosaic pattern, in addition to the conventional time display. “We aimed to develop a new type of watch that has never existed before,” said a company spokesperson. “Then electronic paper caught our eye. Through the utilization of its curvable property, innovative designs have become available. As this is the first watch ever that uses e-paper in the industry, we believe that the industry will be strongly interested in it,” he added. The companies are planning to prompt the preparation and launch the product in Japan within FY2005.
Seiko Epson and E Ink Corp of the US jointly developed the e-paper used in this watch. Seiko Epson combined electrophoretic paper that E Ink has been developing, with its driver IC and developed them into a module. This paper-like display contains segmented electrodes for each displayed pattern. It is a monochrome display with a contrast ratio of 10:1.
Via: Tech-On Asia a nikkei Business Online Publication
