This is a "digital" watch, but it has no numbers. Its display has room for five segments:
1. ABOUT / JUST AFTER / ALMOST 2. FIVE / TEN / QUARTER / TWENTY / TWENTY-FIVE / HALF 3. OF / TO / PAST / AFTER 4. ONE / TWO / THREE / ... / ELEVEN / TWELVE / NOON 5. THIRTY / FIFTEEN / O'CLOCK
It simply displays a verbal account of the time in words, for example: "ALMOST QUARTER PAST FIVE" or "ABOUT SIX THIRTY". (You can set options as to whether the "half past" or "__ thirty" phraseology will be used, or either at random.)
This way, if a stranger asks you for the time, you don't have to exert your hippocampus converting numerals into words because you can just read it off the watch.
Also makes a great wall clock.-- phundug, Dec 20 2004 Wordy http://www.lookandr...k/trivia/wordy.htmlfrightening the bejeezus out of small children since 1974 [calum, Dec 20 2004] Clock of Blocks Clock_20of_20Blocks [FarmerJohn, Dec 20 2004] What if the stranger comes at midnight?-- FarmerJohn, Dec 20 2004 Half past eleven thirty.-- yabba do yabba dabba, Dec 20 2004 2. Twenty, twenty five? 3. To/Past ? A selection menu for different languages - my watch already works with all languages. Anyway +-- Ling, Dec 20 2004 That's where the "Five to eleven thirty" usage comes in. JK :) yes, it'll be settable to your timetelling preferences.-- phundug, Dec 20 2004 It would save me the effort of looking at my watch, deciphering that it's 11:56, and then translating that into "almost noon." People always look at me funny when they ask the time and I actually tell them what my watch says. [~C]-- contracts, Dec 20 2004 This is one of the best timekeeping ideas I have read. Easy to build and marketable.-- wagster, Dec 20 2004 For military time, “hundred” and “hours” could be added, though I’m not sure they’d appreciate the format; “almost ten after fifteen hundred thirty hours”... Sir!-- Shz, Dec 20 2004 I have a feeling I've seen an analogue version of this, but I cannot find it, and if I did yours is different anyway. So, pastry time.-- JeremiahBritt, Dec 20 2004 Maybe you were thinking of mine (link) that has a similar display.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 20 2004 random, halfbakery