The following wristwatch is particularly useful for blind people, as they could be able to actually feel the time.
Blind people have to rely on their other senses to make the best out of their living. Most often, they touch their surrounding objects to distinguish them, and with the help of the Braille alphabet, they can even read and write.
The Bradley, as this timepiece is called, was created by designer Hyungsoo Kim of Eone Timepieces. Blind people wearing this watch will be able to tell the time by touching the dial. The hour marks are raised so that the wearers have reference points. More than that, the major marks are furthermore raised so that people distinguish them from the others. The minutes are indicated by a ball that travels inside the inner circle of the wristwatch. The outer circle, on the other hand, indicates the current our.
Some claim that the design of this watch is not that innovative, but I think that the way it was implemented is what makes this thing unique. The ball bearings are held into place by magnets. Obviously, applying more force while touching them will cause the ball bearings to move from their current location. Setting them back on track is easily done by shaking the hand.
The designer of the Bradley focused not only on the aspect of the wristwatch, but also on its durability. The body of this timepiece is made out of titanium, which makes it both tough and easy to clean.
Eone Timepieces submitted this wristwatch to Kickstarter, where in 4 days it raised more than 5 times the initial goal of $40,000. Given that there are 31 more days to go, this has the potential of getting overfunded big time. Backing the project with $128 will get the early birds and 1,500 more backers one of these stylish timepieces. The retail price will range between $180 and $196, so that’s a great deal. The backers will receive the Bradley in November or early December, but that remains to be seen after the project gets funded.
Personally, I think that not only blind people will benefit from using this product. It looks very elegant and could be easily worn with a suit and tie. If you are a fan of great design and can afford backing this project, I encourage you to do it, as creativity needs to be repaid.
If you liked this post, please check the world’s first Braille smartphone and the Braille label maker for the blind.
