Recreating a Mysterious, 2,100-Year-Old Clock 209
fergus07 writes "Swiss watchmaker Hublot has created a scaled-down working replica of the ancient Antikythera mechanism. The question is — why on Earth would you want to strap one of these to your wrist? It barely tells the time, and it can't take pictures, tweet or connect to your Facebook. In fact, very few people would have the faintest idea what it is, or why you'd want one at all. But for those that do recognize its intricate gears and dials, this tiny, complex piece of machinery tells a vivid and incredible tale of gigantic scientific upheaval, of adventure and shipwreck on the high seas, of war and death."
Re:This has been done before (Score:4, Informative)
Yep this is far from the first replica, but it's the first one I've seen made so tiny.
Re:This has been done before (Score:5, Informative)
The article mentions this, and has a link to it. Replicating the device is not the achievement, doing so it such a small package is. They also threw in a few extra gears so it can tell time in addition to everything else.
You can't have one (Score:5, Informative)
Per TFA:
The watch is a concept piece only, and will be presented at the Baselworld watch show in 2012.
Maybe if enough people begged, they might make a production run.
I wouldn't mind having one, but I'm not holding my breath.
Re:vanity (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, yes it does...
From TFA:
Hublot's own working replica of the Antikythera mechanism, scaled down from shoebox size to wristwatch size, and with a built in clock circuit so it can tell the time as well as make its astronomical predictions.
Re:You can't have one (Score:3, Informative)
You're off by about two orders of magnitude. Check the price of the much less complicated Patek Celestial [jomashop.com]. Hublot sells watches for six digits that only tell the time.
Re:vanity (Score:5, Informative)
Fashion is part of it. So I can tell time in meetings if there is no clock. Because it takes 2 seconds to look at my watch, and more to dig out my cell phone, so when I'm walking it comes in handy. Because there's something really beautiful about a mechanical watch with its gears exposed. Because you can get used to wearing a watch, and if you're not wearing one it can feel odd. Occasionally having an alarm comes in handy. Or a stopwatch.
Just because it doesn't make any sense to you that doesn't mean that other people don't have reasons for wearing a watch.
They also make more than one flavor of ice-cream, too.
Re:vanity (Score:4, Informative)
That's odd, my $100 Motorola is the best phone I've owned, and I've had phones since the rotary days.
You young whippersnapper. I remember when you had to pick up the earpiece and tap the hanger a couple of times to get Madge's attention down at central and then you'd ask to be connected.
And before that if you wanted to talk to someone at the other end of town you walked over and did it in person. Good for your health, less stress. You wanted to talk to someone in the next city over, you waited until they invented the telegraph and sent one of those newfangled things.
Now get off my lawn.