Tokyoflash R75: Steve Austin, Eat Your Heart Out!

January 6, 2009 by Jason · Comment
Filed under: Tokyoflash 

Tokyoflash Japan promises “bionic timing” with the release of its new R75 model watch.   I’m not sure that I follow that description of it, but I do think that this watch looks cool.

Tokyoflash R75

Tokyoflash R75

Coming in 3 choices of colors (black, silver or gold stainless steel) and with either white or blue LEDs, the R75 offers 3 different ways to tell the time.  This is facilitated using both the upper and lower display areas on the watch.  In the hour-centric mode setting, the watch displays the current hour as a number on the lower display area while showing the approximate number of minutes (rounded to the nearest 5) on the upper display, with each lit LED light representing a 5 minute increment.  The second setting, minute-centric mode, utilizes the lower display to show the exact number of minutes in numerical digits, while showing the current hour using LEDs within the upper display area.  The third setting, binary mode, uses only the upper display to tell time.  The upper row of LEDs within this part of the watch face display the hour in binary (where the furthest LEDs to the right have the values 8, 4, 2 and 1).  To tell the current hour, one must then add the lit LEDs (such as 4+2+1 to equal 7 hours).  The row of LEDs beneath this is used to display the current minutes (with each individual LED–from left to right–having the value of 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 or 1).  As with the hour LEDs, one must add the values of the minute LEDs to tell the current minutes (such as 32+16+2+1=51 minutes after the hour).  The watch also includes a “date mode” to tell the current date in months using a combination of the upper set of 12 LEDs and in days by displaying the actual numerical date on the lower set of LEDs.

The Tokyoflash R75 is available from Tokyoflash.com.  Price: $235.48 (U.S.).

(Photo source: Tokyoflash.com.)

Tokyoflash Waku: LEDs and Leather, Together at Last.

December 16, 2008 by Jason · Comment
Filed under: Tokyoflash 

For all of you who have been craving a Tokyoflash watch with a leather band, the folks at Tokyoflash Japan have answered your pleas with the Waku.

Tokyoflash Waku
Tokyoflash Waku

Available in your choice of black, brown or fur-covered (!) leather, each Tokyoflash Waku watch features blue, white, or multi-colored (red, yellow and green) LEDs, which flash once for the current hour (1-12), then again for the minutes (in 15 minute segments, 1-3 lights for 15, 30 and 45 minutes after the hour), and finally, once for any remaining individual minutes (1-14).  The LEDs are surrounded by a black, silver or gold frame (which resembles a belt buckle).  In all, there are 7 band/frame/LED color combinations.

The Tokyoflash Waku is available from Tokyoflash.com.  Price (at the time of this posting): $130.77 (U.S.).

(Photo source: Tokyoflash.com.)

Tokyoflash Kisai Tenmetsu Watch Stops Traffic!

December 9, 2008 by Jason · Comment
Filed under: Tokyoflash 

Tokyoflash Japan is definitely on a roll this holiday shopping season!  Now they have announced the availability of the Kisai Tenmetsu watch, a tri-colored LED watch with red, yellow and green traffic lights–er, LEDs!

With either a black or silver aluminum face and band, upon the wearer’s press of a button, each watch flashes its LED sequence to display the current hour, minute(s), month and (in that order).  The time is displayed in a 24-hour (i.e., “military”) format, with red LEDs equaling increments of 15 units (such as hours at or after 3 PM or minutes), yellow LEDs representing units of 5, and green LEDs displaying individual units of 1.  One or two red lights flash at the top of the watch to indicate whether or not you are looking at the time (1 red light) or date (two red lights).  You can additionally configure an “animation mode” to control the light show that follows the display of the time and date.

The Kisai Tenmetsu is available from Tokyoflash.com.  Price (at the time of this posting): $257.32 (U.S.).*  

 *Thankfully, the shirt the model is wearing on Tokyoflash’s Tenmetsu product page is sold separately!

Tokyoflash Releases the Watch That Says “Ni!”

December 2, 2008 by Jason · Comment
Filed under: Tokyoflash 

I just can’t help but think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail when I see the name of the new Tokyoflash Ni watch.  With a stainless steel band and case, the Ni features either all blue, all white or a combination of red and green LEDs.

Tokyoflash Ni

Tokyoflash Ni

Telling the time on this watch is a matter of first checking the bottom row of lights to tell the hour (in two hour increments), then reading any additional hour (during odd-numbered hours) from the next row, followed by the minutes (in 10, 5 and 1 minute increments).
The Tokyoflash Ni is available from Tokyoflash.com.  Price: (at the time of this posting) $144.07 (U.S.).*
* No shrubbery required. 

(Photo source: Tokyoflash.com.)

Frak! New Tokyoflash Kisai Denshoku Is Bursting With Cylon-y Goodness!

November 25, 2008 by Jason · Comment
Filed under: Tokyoflash 

Resembling the visor of an “old-school” cylon centurion  from “Battlestar Galactica”, the Denshoku watch has just been released under Tokyoflash Japan’s new Kisai brand.

Tokyoflash Kisai Denshoku watch
Tokyoflash Kisai Denshoku watch

Available in a black (shown above) or silver aluminum case with an aluminum/stainless steel band, the design of this watch is said by its manufacturer to have been inspired by neon-lit buildings in Shinjuku, Japan.  The current time can be displayed across 12 LED lights on the case of the watch.  To achieve this, one must press a button which will first cause the lights to flash on 3 times, then they will come on again to display (first) the current hour, then the minutes in tens (i.e., 10 through 50), and finally, the remaining individual minutes.  The Denshoku also features an “animation” mode in which the LEDs light up in sequence once each minute for 12 minutes after the time is shown.  The brightness and speed of the orange LEDs can also be changed via the watch case button.

The Tokyoflash Denshoku is available from Tokyoflash.com.  Price (at the time of this posting): $247.72 (US).

(Photo source: Tokyoflash.com.)

Tokyoflash Hangs Out the Christmas Lights Early with the Fire

November 23, 2008 by Jason · Comment
Filed under: Tokyoflash 

Just in time for Christmas, er . . . Thanksgiving, Tokyoflash Japan has released the Fire watch.

Like a miniature, multi-colored Christmas lights display, when the top button on this watch is pressed, the Fire displays an “X” pattern of lights radiating from the center of the watch outward before then showing the time using a series of yellow (hours: 1-12), red (minutes x 10: 10-50) and green (individual minutes: 1-9) LEDs.

The Fire is available worldwide from Tokyoflash.com. Price: ¥12,900 (approximately $135.50 U.S. at the time of this posting.)

(Photo source: Tokyoflash.com.)