Tokyoflash’s latest addition to its already great collection is a wooden wristwatch with an LCD display, called Kisai Maru.
There seems to be an unwritten rule out there that wristwatches should feature either a leather strap or a metallic one. Tokyoflash’s initiative of making a watch with wooden strap and case seems unusual, yet it should be a welcomed change. Kisai Maru is what smartwatches should look like. It combines circles and edges in a beautiful way, and people might think that the wooden case is contrasting the mirrored LCD display, but it’s quite the opposite.
Maru is the Japanese word for “circle,” and that’s exactly how the time is displayed on this wristwatch. The LCD display features an orbiting ring with two hands, one facing inwards and the other facing outwards. The first one points to the hour, while the latter points to the minutes. No one should be confused by this, as the time is quite easy to tell on the Kisai Maru timepiece, in comparison to other Tokyoflash watches.
Watch designer Sam Jerichow stated the following about the Tokyoflash Kisai Maru: “When I made my early sketches for the display, I was trying to give analog time telling a new guise. Then I actually designed a pocket for my new generation digital analog display. When I saw the first images of the wrist watch, I was surprised how good it looked and how nicely the display has been embedded with the circle in the case and the all-around-the-wrist line in the strap. The name Maru, that I gave the original concept, was translated in a fantastic way. Thank you Tokyoflash! I’d also like to thank my fans who say what they like and what they don’t 😉 – the support is great!”
One of the best things about this timepiece is that you wouldn’t have to press any buttons in order the time. As stated in the following picture, the time is displayed at all times. Of course, since Kisai Maru comes with EL backlight, you do have the option of illuminating the screen, in order to find out what time it is at night or in poor light conditions.
Besides time and backlight, this watch also comes with other features. You can have the date displayed on screen or you can set an alarm. It is also possible to set the orbiting ring to get animated each 5 minutes, but that would drain the battery faster. Speaking of batteries, Kisai Maru works with a CR2025 battery that should keep the watch alive for at least 12 months.
Liking the dedicated page of the Kisai Maru wristwatch on Facebook will get you a $4 discount, thus bringing the price down to $95.
At press time, there were a bit over 10 hours to get the Tokyoflash Kisai Maru at this special price. When this time expires, the manufacturer either will keep it in its offer at a higher price or will remove it altogether.
Kisai Maru is available in maple or red sandalwood, but the color might be slightly different from what you see above.
If you liked this post, please check the Sudoku wristwatch and Kisai Intoxicated, which doubles as a breathalyser, both made by Tokyoflash.
