Tokyoflash Kisai Night Vision Watch

It seems that today's wristwatches are not only designed to tell time. They are usually designed to tell time in a different way. That's the appeal of wrist watches like the Tokyoflash Kisai Night Vision LED Watch.

Just like most of the watches that come out from Tokyoflash, the Kisai Night Vision LED Watch tells time in a different way that what is usual. Instead of the ordinary clock face or digital watch interface fond on conventional wrist watches, the Kisai Night Vision watch features a blank black face that will show the time at a touch of the top button. The outer rings that light up indicate the hours similar to the positioning of the hours on the analog clock. The minutes are shown as digits inside the rings.

The date can be shown when pressing the lower button on the watch. The months are indicated by the outer ring with the day as the digits in the center. The Kisai Night Vision watch is considered as one of the easiest watches to read from Tokyoflash. It also features an alarm mode as well as an interesting light animation mode that can be activated to show up every 15 minutes.

The Tokyoflash Kisai Night Vision watch is rechargeable via USB. A full charge can last for 1 month. This unique wrist watch is available at Tokyoflash as a limited edition offer for US$129.
source:Gadget.com

Momentum Format 4 Titanium Review

We are big fans of analog-digital watches here at WatchReport, so we’re delighted to review the latest release from Momentum. This is the Format 4, an updated version of their Format 2 done in titanium and optional sapphire. Let’s start with some specifications:

• Titanium case, 43mm across at the bezel by 14mm thick. 45.7mm from lug to lug, 80g on the rubber strap.
• Mineral or optional sapphire crystal
• Water resistant to 100m (330ft)
• Available later this year with a matching bracelet
• Powered by separate analog and digital movements – the crown controls the analog, and the buttons the digital.
• Unidirectional 120-click bezel with lumed pip
• Lumed analog dial and hands
• Pixel-based reverse-LCD display with EL backlighting
• World time, five alarms, countdown timer, stopwatch, power-saving features and more.
• List price of $285 with mineral crystal and rubber strap, $365 with sapphire.

Ever since Omega discontinued the X-33, we’ve had our eyes out for the replacement. When we heard about the Format 4, it seemed very promising, especially since it addressed the big drawback of the Omega, namely water resistance. At 100m (330ft), the Format 4 is proof enough for an active life. Let’s dive in and see how the rest of it holds up.

Like the Omega, the Format 4 is matte-finished titanium, one of our favorite metals for watches. Light, durable, low-key and, for those allergic to nickel, non-allergenic. It will scratch more easily than steel, but on a tool/functional watch like this that’s a minor drawback. The picture on the left (click to see the full image) shows the unusual teardrop-shaped buttons. The rounded shape contrasts the squarish case, but from the top view (see the first picture) they look unremarkable. In use, the larger size works very well with or without gloves, and the feel is good.

The closeup also shows the square teeth on the bezel. Easy to grab, and unlike the Omega this one is a ratcheting dive bezel, 120 clicks and a lumed pip at the top for nighttime usage.

On the right hand side, another look at the buttons and the unsigned, screwdown crown for the analog movement. This is the first inkling of how Momentum was able to ship a watch for a tenth of the price: the analog movement is not synchronized to the digital one, and is set separately via the crown. This is not unusual; Yes watches do the same thing, as does Phosphor and many others. It’s less expensive to design a new digital movement, by far, than a new analog-digital. Personally, since quartz is so accurate, I set them both and don’t worry about it until the next trip or timezone change.

Nicely made screwdown caseback, functional and watertight. The alarms aren’t as loud because of that, but still more than enough to wake me up. It’s incredibly difficult to make a super-loud alarm and retain any degree of water resistance.

You can also see the hooded lug design. I like this for a couple of reasons: stylistically it looks cleaner, where the ends of the strap are tucked under the case, and if you change straps they look better without the visible curved gap. Secondly, by doing so Momentum kept the watch a more wearable 45.7mm lug-to-lug. This one should work really well on smaller wrists.

Here you can see it on my average 7.25″ wrist. Very comfortable, and as you can see the reverse LCD has a nice wide viewing angle. I really like how the display are pixels and not segments, so words like ‘Chrono’,’ ‘LCD off’ and “New York” are cleared spelled out and scrolled. It makes the watch a lot more usable and less dependent on memorizing the manual. Momentum also put in icons and graphics: the countdown timer has an hourglass, the stopwatch has a reverse-L shape to separate lap count; little touches that aid usability and I appreciate them.

I’ be remiss not to note the similarity to another famous analog-digital, the Breitling Aerospace and its siblings. Upright Arabic numerals, dual LCD displays and the clean dial layout. In a lot of ways, though, I like the Format 4 better: It has a second hand, the font is upright and not italicized and quite frankly using the crown to control the digital movement is utterly useless in a plane. Just too fiddly; big buttons are much better.

One other feature I like a lot is the power-saving mode. You can press the lower right button and hold it, which turns off the LCDs until the next button press. You can also set the watch to automatically turn them off and on at set times, for example overnight. Saves power and makes for a clean, low-profile appearance. It’ll never be a dress watch, but with the LCDs off you could certainly wear it to more formal occasions.

The picture on the right was a tricky one to take, I had to charge the lume with a UV lamp, press the backlight button and then get it into the rig before the light went off in three seconds. Tricky, but hopefully you can tell how the dial is well-lumed and the backlight is the low-key EL type that lights up the lit pixels. A good watch if you want to read it in the dark and not have flashes of bright LEDs spoiling your night vision.

According to Momentum, later this year they’ll have a matching bracelet available which I think would be very nice. I’m a huge fan, as they’re more wearable in hot weather, work well in a wider variety of situations and look nicer. The vanilla-scented rubber strap is lighter, of course, and easily replaced if necessary. The bracelet should be available in December with an anticipated price of $355.

I would also like to thank Momentum for participating online in the watch forums. Us watch nuts really appreciate that; it’s one of the delights of the boutique brands.

As the right-side image shows, this is a handsome watch, with a very functional look and killer price. At $285 for mineral/rubber, it’s a fantastic deal for an analog-digital, with backlight, in titanium and rated to 100m. The displays are larger than most, making them a lot more readable and usable. (Some of the Casios, for example, are too small to read if you’re in a hurry, exercising or moving your arm.) The function set on the digital is excellent and the legibility on the analog is fabulous.

Our thanks to Momentum for the review unit.
source:Watch Report

Bremont Supermarine S500 Review

Bremont's brand statement is "Tested Beyond Endurance" and the Supermarine features a series of specialized systems that should make it one of the toughest and most reliable divers on the market today not to mention one of the most advanced sport watches in its class. While that brand statement may seem like a nice footer for business cards and power point presentations, Bremont takes these words as more of a mission statement than marketing buzz words.

The Supermarine is named after the famed British aircraft manufacturer that made the Spitfire fighter plane which was flown in the World War II and the S6-B which can be seen on the case back of the S500 Supermarine. The case design its self is one of Bremont's biggest achievements. The Trip-Tick case features a three piece design (see expanded diagram in gallery below) which incorporates an upper hardened steel frame and lug chassis, a central DLC treated stainless steel barrel and a screw down case back. From a design standpoint this allows the lugs to carry a more sculpted, downward curve resulting in a more comfortable and slimmer feel than the S500′s 16mm height might suggest. The steel used in Bremont's watches is heat treated in Britain to harden its composition using a similar process to that which hardens jet turbine blades. The end result is a hardness rating of 2000 vickers (HV) which is some nine times harder than conventional 316L steel used in most watches. Rolex uses 904L stainless steel which is only rated to ~490 HV and Sinn makes some watches out of Tegimented submarine steel which has an outer layer rated to 1200 HV. A hardness rating of 2000 HV literally brings the hardness of the Supermarine's case into the same range as a quality sapphire crystal, so while the Supermarine is not scratch proof it is going to fight the signs of use better than most watches including all of it competitors.

The crown is located at two o'clock on the Bremont Supermarine and the right side of the case also features a gorgeous crown guard that is essentially a design element that raises the outer edge of the case to protect the screw down crown from direct impacts. Please take a moment to view the included photos as this is both a clever solution compared to conventional crown guards and suits the style of the S500 flawlessly. The left side of the case features an integrated automatic helium escape valve for saturation diving. While the HEV will not be used by the majority of Supermarine buyers, it is a technical benchmark seen on most luxury dive watches produced today. Technical benchmarks aside, the Supermarine has definitely been made for diving and in testing nearly tripled its 500 meter water resistance rating. Bremont does not take your attention for granted and has gone to great lengths (or depths) to make a watch that will keep up as well on a dive as it will to dinner that evening.

One of the few elements that is instantly noticeable on a high quality watch is the crystal. Budget watches use mineral glass while pricier options employ synthetic sapphire that can vary in clarity and hardness. In the luxury range the sapphire should be almost invisible under normal use and be as hard as possible (1800+ HV). Bremont takes their crystals very seriously, believing that the crystal should be protective but other wise unobtrusive and not distract or distort the view of the dial. The S500 Supermarine features a slightly domed sapphire crystal with nine layers of anti-reflective coating on each side. The crystal does not distort the dial nor does it exhibit much of the blue flaring that is seen on many crystals with anti-reflective coatings. The Bremont's sapphire crystal carries the same hardness rating as the case so it is quite unlikely you will scratch or superficially damage the crystal in any way. On wrist the crystal seems to disappears and leaves you to enjoy the beautiful details of the dial.

The dial, including the hand set, is likely what will first draw buyers to the Supermarine. The design of the dial matches beautifully with the overall styling of the Supermarine which is classic without being faux-vintage or feeling outdated. The rich black of the dial is contrasted well by the slightly off white luminous paint used on the markers and hands. The twin aperture day/date window border is nicely finished and the white text on a black background is easily legible. Bremont has not cluttered the dial with paragraphs of text or busy logos. Instead, the S500 carries the Bremont name and minimalist logo, its own name, and its water resistance. The center of the dial is largely devoted to a gorgeous striped pattern bordered by a circular design similar to railway tracks. The striped pattern looks engraved like a counter-relief, not painted or applied to the surface but rather part of the dial and very much three dimensional. It is excellent in every way, and gives the S500 a unique aesthetic which dresses up an otherwise simple dial. Lastly, the hands are an attractive design that also aids legibility and accuracy as they are long enough to fully reach their designated scale. The "lolly pop" hour hand is a somewhat divisive style but one that I think is lovely and makes the Supermarine instantly recognizable among steel clad, black dial divers much of the world is wearing. The dial, applied markers and beautiful hands make for a very legible design that is as functional as it is attractive. If you want something with more color than the model shown here (the S500/BK) there are also options with blue (S500/BL) or silver dials (S500/SI) or a bezel with a cool green twenty minute scale (S500/BK-GN). Lastly, Bremont released the Supermarine Descent LE which boasts a complete DLC coating and a black/green bezel for a more stealthy look.

Most dive watches have unidirectional counter-clockwise rotating bezels that are used to time different aspects of a dive ranging from total dive time to decompression times. The bezel on the Bremont Supermarine is a 120 click unidirectional bezel that features a sapphire insert which sits above a minute scale that has been treated with luminous paint. The markings on the bezel charge via available light just like the hands and markers on the dial and the end result is as much fun as it is practical (see photos and video). The sapphire insert shares the same 2000 HV hardness rating as the domed sapphire crystal and should have no problems warding away the scratches and markings from normal use. The edge of the bezel is notched for grip and works well with wet or dry hands. The action of the bezel is positive and it does not exhibit any wobble or tendency to "swim" between each click. The S500's bezel is high quality, easy to use and should be more than tough enough for even a sporting owner.

The internal elements of the case are just as advanced as its exterior. The entire movement and its anti-shock system is housed inside a Faraday cage to protect the movement from magnetism. Inside the anti-magnetic casing is a proprietary anti-shock system that incorporates a rubberized movement mount that keeps the movement "floating" and confined to minute tolerances as opposed to being clamped to the case its self. Bremont developed this anti-shock system in co-operation with Martin Baker, the company responsible for manufacturing 70% of the worlds ejector seats for over ninety air forces world wide. The Bremont MB series was developed to be able to withstand the use of an ejector seat which subjects the timepiece and all of its internals (not to mention the pilot) to over 30Gs worth of force. Bremont's research subjected the test units to 40 years worth of vibration, and additional tests for shock, magnetic interference, corrosion and climate tests. All watches in this market are tested extensively but few are put through the kinds of field testing that Bremont subjects their watches to while they advance through development stages.

Underneath all of this hardened steel, sapphire and layer upon layer of luminous paint is of course the S500's movement. The Supermarine is powered by Bremont's BE-36AE which is a modified ETA 2836 Swiss automatic movement with a 36 hour power reserve. The BE-36AE boasts 25 jewels, a glucydur balance, an anachron balance spring and a nivaflex 1 mainspring. All of Bremont's watches are certified COSC chronometers and come fitted with a custom Bremont rotor. The movement cannot be seen on the Supermarine as it uses a solid stainless steel case back. The model provided on loan from Bremont ran a steady -1s per day on wrist and held a +3 average time on a winder, this variance is well within COSC timing and we think it simply suggests the Supermarine prefers a spot on your wrist over a spot in your watch case.

In person the Bremont Supermarine really shines, if you have not experienced a luxury watch on your wrist they have a distinctively different feel and visual appeal when compared to entry level options. The case design on the Supermarine (and indeed all Bremont watches) is outstanding, even in their price range. The lugs are drawn from the top section of the case and curve downward with a very unique shape. The mix of brushed and polished sections on the lugs is excellent and the shape of the case is unlike anything I have reviewed. In addition to their visual quality, the short downward shaped lugs make for a very practical lug to lug distance of just over 50mm. The Supermarine feels and looks 43mm wide and I think that is a perfect size for this watch. The case wears closer to 12mm or 13mm thick and was not prone to catch door frames, table tops or edges any more than a thinner watch would. When on wrist the Bremont comes into its own, its comfortable case is mounted to a soft but sturdy rubber strap that features a low profile buckle that hugs the edges of the rubber and reduces the buckles tendency to catch on sleeves or deep pockets.

With such a solid feature set and attractive design you're likely not expecting the Supermarine to be cheap, and it isn't. The Supermarine on a rubber strap carries an MSRP of $5150. The Supermarine battles directly against models from Omega, Breitling and IWC. At the $5000 price point, the Bremont is expensive but not overpriced. Most options from Omega, Breitling and IWC use modified ETA calibers but cannot match the S500′s exclusive case design, anti-shock system or low production volume. The most obvious competition is the IWC Aquatimer with its modified eta movement, illuminated sapphire bezel, and a matched list price of $5200 USD. I think the Bremont has the IWC outmatched in many crucial ways. Yes, the IWC is a more well known brand with more history than the Bremont but as a watch you're actually going to spend your own money on, the Bremont is simply better value and for my money, a better looking watch. The Supermarine features a more advanced and robust case design and composition, it will be more exclusive than the IWC, and (for the time being) you will pay less for the Bremont brand name. In all reality, most buyers choosing a watch solely on its brand name will overlook IWC or Bremont for Rolex, Omega or even Tag Heuer. Bremont is still a young brand that is proving its self on a watch-by-watch basis which means you are getting a different pricing structure than you will with a Swiss marque where the brand alone commands a price point regardless of the features or technology showcased by the watch. Bremont is commanding its price point with excellent and attractive designs that are backed by a relentless testing process and company leadership that places craftsmanship, quality and longevity above all else. While there are not a lot of distinctively British watch manufacturers there is a rich history in the UK concerning engineering,  technology and design which can be seen in world class projects like the Concorde, the McLaren F1, the Millau Viaduct, and even planes like the Supermarine Spitfire and the S.6B. All of these endeavours were upstarts in their own way, challenging the status of their industry by boasting cutting edge technology, game changing design and raising the bar for the competition. The Supermarine is a beautiful, well made and thoughtfully designed watch that shows there is room for yet another serious contender in the luxury dive watch segment.
source:Watch Report

Lark wants to change the way you sleep and wake up

The problem with alarm clocks is that they wake you up in the middle of a dream, and not just you, but also all the people at your place. Furthermore, alarm clocks don't know if you are already awake or not, and therefore they don't know when to stop the alarm and when to continue with it. The Lark wants to change your awaking experience. The product consists of a wrist band, charging dock and an App for your iOS device (Android App will be available later). The functionality is simple, you set the alarm on the iOS device and then the wrist-band will vibrate and wake you up quietly. In addition to that, the wrist band also monitor your movements during your sleep and can provide you with details like, how long  it took you to fall asleep, how many times you woke up, how long you slept and the quality of sleep. You can use the ‘sleep coach' software that enhances the lark to enable you to achieve your sleeping goals and to receive feedback on how to improve your sleep quality. The product was developed by ‘sleep and pro sport experts' and it costs 99$ or 159$ with the personal sleep trainer bundle.
source:The Gadgeteer

An Alarm Clock with a New Age Twist

Some of us are such deep sleepers that transplanting Big Ben from London to our night tables still might not wake us.  If you aren't one of those people, you might like to be awakened by the gentle tinkling of wind chimes.  This Wind Chime Alarm Clock from Vat19 can wake you with the sound of electronic beeps or with the wind chimes.  The clock runs on 3 AAA batteries, and it has 12- or 24-hour modes for time display.  If you like, you can set the chimes to play continually, although that does quickly deplete the batteries.  The alarm clock is $19.95.
source:The Gadgeteer