The “Aurora” watch, recently launched by company Ziiiro, is based on a premise not many wristband-watch lovers would be able to resist: It tells the time through colors.
Ziiiro specializes in designer watches that look unusual without being flashy. In fact, all of their models seem quite stark, as they do away with numbers and hands and display the time through other innovative means. The “Orbit”, for instance (launched around the same time as the model that concerns us right now), has two planet-like spheres -a purple one for the hours, a white one for the minutes- that move along the same circular track inside the face of the watch to show what time it is.
Reading the “Aurora”, however, may prove more complicated that that. The watch is made up of two gradient discs: There’s a blue one for the hours and a yellow one for the minutes. When they’re placed on top of one another, a shade of green comes up and the hour is displayed.
The three cases in point above provide insight into how this works. The company themselves claim it’s “no rocket science at all”. It certainly isn’t, but it’s bound to create a little awkwardness for anyone who’s only familiar with traditional cronographs. Take the first watch in the series: At first glance, the time could be easily mistaken for slightly past two. Still, it’s only a matter of getting used to it, since the logics behind it are perfectly reasonable and clear.
Even if it’s not the easiest watch to read, there’s no denying it’s very aesthetically pleasing. The hues at play are vibrant, summery and youthful. Also, a fun aspect of it is that the center piece is fully interchangeable with the center pieces of other Ziiiro models. For example, the owner of an “Orbit – Banana” (which has a bright yellow wristband) could purchase an “Aurora” with a white wristband and mix the two of them.
If you like the Aurora, these other original concept watches might suit your taste as well: Modern Times: “Revolutio” Watch Design, Solar Powered Watch Design and The Squares Watch: A Lesson in Minimal LED Design.
Via: Design Milk
