12 May 2004 | One of several Steves said...

I actually don't see any way around that, nor does it seem that different than what you need to do with metallic band, where you have to remove links.

Of course, they could have gone with the standard punched leather strap, but that would detract from the aesthetics quite a bit. I guess it all depends on what one places a premium on in this case: form or function.

12 May 2004 | JF said...

You can always add back metal links.

12 May 2004 | Chris from Scottsdale said...

I think that this works, but only if I'm buying a very expensive watch and the jeweler will personally fit it to me. If he does all of the hard work then I'd be ok. On the flip side, if I ever gained or lost weight it'd be a bummer.

12 May 2004 | One of several Steves said...

Good point about adding back the links. Tough to suture the leather back on.

12 May 2004 | Mark said...

If you gain weight your "perfect fit" goes out the window. Money well spent on a piece of art - not a useful / usable timepiece.

12 May 2004 | Bruno Figueiredo said...

That's not the friendliest of ways to adjust a strap to your size.

If you think well, there are no good designs for straps. I think it's a neglected area of watch design. Just think about it:

- Elastic metal strap. Cons: Adjustes to any size, perfect fit. Pros: It can hurt a bit if you put in on for a long time.

- Buckle. Cons: You have to deal with the loose flap; hurts to adjust. Pros: Adjustes to various sizes.

- Metal links. Cons: You have to remove links to adjust. Pros: You can reinsert or remove links if you gain/loose a few pounds.

How would you design a strap?

12 May 2004 | Bruno Figueiredo said...

That's not the friendliest of ways to adjust a strap to your size.

If you think well, there are no good designs for straps. I think it's a neglected area of watch design. Just think about it:

- Elastic metal strap. Cons: Adjustes to any size, perfect fit. Pros: It can hurt a bit if you put in on for a long time.

- Buckle. Cons: You have to deal with the loose flap; hurts to adjust. Pros: Adjustes to various sizes.

- Metal links. Cons: You have to remove links to adjust. Pros: You can reinsert or remove links if you gain/loose a few pounds.

How would you design a strap?

12 May 2004 | boom! said...

Have a magnet implanted under the skin of your wrist. Buy a watch with a metal face and remove the band.

12 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Jason, simply take the entire works to a good jeweler and have them adjust it. Simple.

RE: Gaining weight -- your wrists vary very little. Little Known Fact: You can predict, with a very reasonable amount of accuracy, how large a bodybuilder can get (his genetics) by measuring his wrists. Small wrists? Lift and do all the steroids you want, you'll max out at about 18-inch arms.

Which I find to be a bummer.

12 May 2004 | Mark said...

Make it a tightly coiled spring.

12 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

All good arguments for a resurgence of the pocket watch.

12 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Who wears a watch? Clock on my PC, clock in my cars, clock on my microwave, clock on my mobile phone ... can't get away from the blasted things.

(Actually, I want a tide watch.)

12 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

Don, perhaps you should move to Hawaii. Great surfing and I hear they don't pay any attention to the time there.

12 May 2004 | Cesc said...

Same problem with my girlfriend's Philip Stark watch, but in the shop they adjusted the "personilized size" strap. :)

12 May 2004 | Hagbard Celine said...

I bought a watch I really like at a Fossil store in an outlet mall. It has a Velcro strap which I can adjust every time I put it on. I paid twelve bucks for the watch and strap, and $1.25 for a second strap.

Of course, it's not nearly as elegant or beautifully designed as the Rosendahl, but it does have two other functional touches I prefer - numbers around the face and an LCD seconds counter.

12 May 2004 | Phil Baines said...

I haven't had a wrist watch for years, and I have only had the mentality or a designer (or the starting of one) for a lot less time. So, i haven't ever thought about the best way to design a watch strap.

I agree with the above post. I have no need to have a wrist watch any more. Until mobile phones get so small that they are straped to our wrists I possibly will not think about this again. But thanks for helping me think about design outside of web development today.

12 May 2004 | JF said...

I find it interesting that cell phones have become the new timepieces.

12 May 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

...cell phones have become the new timepieces

Don't cellphones have the further advantage of always having the correct time because they receive it as part of the signal from the tower?

I've heard that somewhere, don't know if it's accurate or not - and can't check, because I'm not wearing my cell (or a watch for that matter) today.

12 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Hawaii? I love to surf, but I'm a novice. I'd get killed there ... literally.

How about a teeny-weeny little watch that is mounted on the side ear piece of your glasses? You touch a tiny switch and it projects the time onto the inside upper corner of your eyeglasses for, say, four seconds. James Bond cool.

12 May 2004 | One of several Steves said...

Yes, Mark, most cell phones can be configured to pick up their time setting from the network. For obvious reasons, the network needs its time pretty well-synchronized.

I've taken to using my mobile as my default alarm clock when traveling. I trust it far more than a hotel wakeup call or the hotel alarm clock.

12 May 2004 | Darrel said...

Man you got screwed. Not only a bad strap, but they FORGOT THE NUMBERS!

12 May 2004 | Michael Spina said...

Who needs numbers? It's either 2 hours before headphones, or 6 hours past 24.

12 May 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

I find it interesting that cell phones have become the new timepieces

Don't forget the iPod too; I use mine for that, and it works as an alarm clock too.

On overdesign, I think I mentioned here before (maybe more than once) a Harmon/Kardon stereo system I bought about 10 years ago. It was recommended by the New York Times as the best shelf stereo system on the market. It certainly was nice to look at, but very frustrating to use. The extreme minimalism of the design meant there were very few buttons on the unit itself, but even the remote was lacking some essentials, like a "stop" button for either the tape deck or the CD player. You could hit "pause" or you could eject the tape or CD, but you couldn't just stop it. That's true on the iPod too (no "stop" button), but for some reason that doesn't bother me as much. The other annoying thing with the H/K is that a CD would just play itself over and over again endlessly until you hit pause or ejected the disc. I put up with it for year and then sold it; bought a much more conventional system (NAD components) and love it.

12 May 2004 | sloan said...

you could create a metal strap that was collapsible with the ability to lock different links at different lengths. you would only have to do this at the very ends near the watch face... think of those collapsible cups that campers use, but flattened... you would be able to "remove" and "add" links to varying degrees without breaking it apart...

12 May 2004 | CM Harrington said...

Metal band watches are also "cut". You remove a few of the links, then re-seat the clasp. It's pretty standard in high-end watches.

I'm surprised you've not come across a "cut to fit"/clasp band before.

12 May 2004 | Marc M. said...

I hear you on the faults of the strap... but I don't see it as that bad of a design. I think it's ok to not be able to continually adjust the strap, as was mentioned in a previous postthe wrist stays pretty much the same throughout weight increase and decrease. However, i hear the fact that it is scary + time consuming to make that snip.

I find it interesting that no body has mentioned the directions yet. Ultimately, this sounds to me like an instance of poor instructions. Wouldn't it be much easier/reassuring if the instructions were quite clear on how to go about measuring and cutting the strap. Without having seen the watch in person, and based on your description it seems to me that the instructions are at fault.

12 May 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

So, you bought the second one thinking it might have a different clasp system?

;) - I just saw that you changed out the watch face photo.

12 May 2004 | JF said...

I just saw that you changed out the watch face photo.

I actually bought both -- analog and digital.

12 May 2004 | Hass said...

I completely disagree w/ those who think one setting on a watchband is enough. I constantly adjust depending on temperature and the resulting expansion/shrinkage. Normally I ignore the watchband as I figure I'll replace it with one I like, but on the watch shown it looks like the band is more important to the entire look of the watch than most (not well said, I hope you get my meaning).

13 May 2004 | Jim said...

I have a rather expensive Suunto Observer watch which has the same thing. You have to cut the band to fit it. After I got this watch, I lost a little weight, and now the watch doesn't really fit anymore.

The real clincher is that the band is integral to the watch so that you can't really even replace it with something more functional. Shame.

13 May 2004 | Mark Eichin said...

Just remember - the primary use case for a watch is *knowing what time it is* and that even the ultimate watch isn't actually the limit (as is made clear by the comments about getting time from onscreen or onphone sources.)

(Of course, wearing a Fossil is more about the "pseudo-functional jewelry" use-case :-)

13 May 2004 | David S said...

Watches are much more convenient timepieces than cell phones. Mine is always in my pocket and, when I'm sitting down, it's a pain to get out. My watch is always easily accessible and it looks slick to boot.

13 May 2004 | Remi said...

I work in a jewellery/watch store - when customers bring in watches with straps that have to be cut (I have seen a few in my time) - we (well I) simply tell them the risks involved and how it might be permanently damaged.

You can bring it down and I will be happy to fix it. btw I must warn you that I live in London.

(Apparently Fossil watches are supposed to be collectible)

13 May 2004 | Andy Budd said...

Over styled, under designed.

13 May 2004 | Bruno Figueiredo said...

Of course our wrists vary according to our weight!!! I lost about 90 pounds in the last 3 years and I had to remove about 3 links from my watch.

13 May 2004 | Bob H. said...

What a great design! This should be done with shirts. Buy a shirt and cut the holes that fit your arms and neck. Or even pants. Have all pant lengths be 7 feet and cut them to your height.

13 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

Hehe...so you bought TWO watches with dysfunctional straps?! Bummer.

I understand why you say they're overdesigned. Overdesign makes things look pretty and overlooks functionality. I would say a leather strap you have to cut to size definitely fits in that category.

I'm serious about the pocket watch. A man with a cell phone latched on his belt buckle...a modern day cliche. A man with a pocket watch, going against the norm? Incredibly enticing.

13 May 2004 | capt. nemo said...

Over styled, under designed.
I agree. Almost looks to slick to wear everyday. It seems like you would have to wear futuristic foil clothes everyday to carry the timepiece. You should pick up an old Omega Seamaster and call it a day.

13 May 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

A man with a pocket watch, going against the norm? Incredibly enticing.

Pocket watches are very cool; the only kind of watch I've ever owned. The one I use now is an antique made in 1910 that I bought at a flea market in Massachusetts about 15 years ago, and it works flawlessly. Much better than the Westclox Pocket Bens I had as a kid; they only lasted a couple of years before pooping out.

I dislike wearing anything on my hands or wrists (rings, watches, etc.). Plus a wrist watch would make me feel too much like a slave to time...I feel sorry for people who are constantly glancing at their wrist.

13 May 2004 | Cliff said...

I have a pocket watch I received as a gift, but it seems silly to carry it while dressed in certain ways - such as with jeans. I almost feel naked without my wristwatch anymore.

13 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

I tell time by the position of ol' Sol.

Tip: Hold you fist out, arm extended. Stack fists from the horizon to the sun. Each fist is about 15 degrees, about one hour. Cool, eh?

13 May 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

but it seems silly to carry it while dressed in certain ways - such as with jeans

The secret to wearing a pocket watch without making you seem overly formal or mannered is to use a leather strap. Chains are not cool. I had a cobbler make me a dark brown leather strap for my watch; it cost about $5. Leather goes with everything and doesn't call attention to itself like a chain does.

13 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

See? I'm sitting here reading Brad's posting and I am, in fact, enticed. Wow...not just any pocket watch, but an antique. Obviously Brad is the kind of guy who can involve himself with modern day technology while fully appreciating the charming simplicity of yesterday. Not to mention his ability to go against the grain. Very nice.

Perhaps Brad could address Cliff's concern about how to carry a pocket watch with jeans.

13 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

Well, there ya go.

13 May 2004 | Brad the Enticer said...

See? I'm sitting here reading Brad's posting and I am, in fact, enticed.

Er, let's not get too carried away.

13 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

Come on now...I'm not THAT enticed.

14 May 2004 | Lauren said...

Here's an idea.

Measure your wrist with a piece of string then translate the length to your watch band.

14 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

Yeah, but there's still that fear of cutting it and finding out that it doesn't fit when you put it on. I can just imagine poor Jason (even though I've never seen him), sweat pouring from his brow as he makes what could be a fatal last cut to his $110 watch. I picture a member of the bomb squad worried that he'll cut the wrong wire.

Next time you buy a watch, you might want to find out the intricate workings of the band before you shell out the cash. Just a suggestion.

14 May 2004 | kageki said...

dunno... that watch seems awfully unnatural and difficult to read.

And i don't trust people who wear digital watches.

14 May 2004 | but that's just me said...

That reminds me of when I was about 8 years old. My dad was wearing one of those newfangled digital watches with the red numbers that flashed the time and date intermittently. He took a nap and told me to wake him up when his watch said 4:00. Well, it was April 27th or something like that. About 15 minutes into his nap, I frantically woke him up to tell him it was way past 4:00, when it was actually only about 3:30. Scared the hell out of him and nearly gave him a heart attack. He called me a pigeon head. Just thought I'd share.

15 May 2004 | J said...

Don:
I sent you an e-mail re: a tide tool program for the Palm OS , if you use it.
You're a man after my own heart, with your fist on the horizon comment...but did you know that if you simply hold you palm vertical on the horizon (i.e., don't make a fist) the four fingers measure the hour, and each finger is 15 minutes...neat, huh.
And then, if you just know what tiime sunset is in your region, you measure down from sun to horizon, hand over hand, and you know what time it is within +/- 5 minutes...

16 May 2004 | Roderick said...

I have an Oris watch in which I was required to cut the band as well.
I was nervous even when the dealer that I bought my watch from cut
the band.

Here's what should transpire:

1) watch is placed on wrist
2) appropriate lengths are marked then cut from EACH side,
3) watch band clasp is centered on your vein, and (optional)
4) uneven cut on rubber strap will bug the heck out of you for years to come.

If you switch watch wrists, your results will vary. Now you have your form.

P.S. Or adopt the adage: "I don't wear a watch because I know exactly what time it is. The time is now." -Steve Mariucci

17 May 2004 | Don Schenck said...

j -- please resend; I deleted it thinking it was spam before I read your message, above.

Thanks!

May 22 ... surfing? Perhaps perhaps perhaps!

18 May 2004 | Kiran Max Weber said...

The worse design flaw in my opinion is not being able to find it on the site. Sure there is a picture but you can't click on it. Sure there is a menu but it's not listed among any of the collections. Search function doesn't help either. That's bad design.

20 May 2004 | Bryan Haggerty said...

Did anyone else notice that this design is extremely close to the design Philippe Starck made for Fossil (I actually own the Starck watch).

http://www.philippe-starck.net/technique/2001fossila.html