14 DAY TRIAL // Most wrist watches either have hands to show the time, or an electronic display of some sort, usually LED these days. However, Time-IT wants to shake things up enough that, maybe, time itself could be redefined.
An ambitious goal, to be sure, and not one that can be achieved through a single product release, or even several. It will be years before any changes happen, if anything actually does, fundamentally.
That doesn't mean that the company's product releases should be disregarded though. Indeed, the newest watch from Time-IT is interesting. Not just because of what it looks like but because of the methods used to produce it.
The 3D printed watch
Technically, it's not really a 3D printed watch, since only the case is made through additive manufacturing, out of bronze.
That alone is quite impressive though. Metal 3D printing is hard and expensive by nature, even without going through the trouble needed to make sure the final result is good looking.
But as curious as it sounds, the case of the T-Block Bronze Deluxe, and the strap, are the parts that actually look normal. It's the system used to show the time that stands out the most.
Instead of hour / minute / second hands, or numbers displayed on an electronic screen, the new watch from Time-IT uses an LED-based linear system.
You read the number of lines that are colored red in order to tell how many hours, minutes and seconds of the day have gone by.
The path that led to this
Time-IT's founder, Ramon Groen, used to work for Philips until 2004, when he left and established his own company as he tried to upturn the status quo, or at least escape from it.
The 3D printed watch with line-based time system is his most outstanding attempt to date, but since metal 3D printing doesn't bring price cuts like it does for other materials and methods, the final device is quite expensive. The T-Block Bronze Deluxe can be ordered online for €299 / €233 - €299.
Speaking of which, Time-IT doesn't print the faces itself. Instead, it has commissioned Shapeways to do it for them.
The watch has an auto-sleep function that kicks in after 5 seconds of inactivity. It also show the date and is reasonably resistant to water, so rain won't kill it. Shipments will start by November 11 according to the company's website.
