Okay, maybe you think I’m overdoing this. But yes…joy. I remember the first time I got a color computer — must have been a Mac II ci back in the early 90s — and I played some goofy video that came with the Mac about 50 times. And then downloaded every nice, hi-res (which was 640×480 back then) photo I could get for swapping backgrounds. Seeing the San Francisco skyline at night, then changing it moments later to some flowers, or the sky, was exhilarating. I was working 10 to 14 hours a day then, I had a Mac and a PC side by side, keyboards stacked, learning C programming while I adapted a set of financial education software to the Mac. And little freedoms like a pretty picture were just great. We’re a bit more jaded now, aren’t we? I’ve got a huge folder of astonishingly detailed photos – my own, Bing downloads-of-the-day, marketing shots from various car companies, the Moto 360 promo shots, etc. It still makes me happy when one of my favorite shots of Amsterdam graffiti shows up, but it is not quite the same thrill as those early days of discovery. But for a watch guy, having custom-designed watchfaces, swappable at the flick of a finger, is fantastic. I love analog watches, I love the movement, the interplay of light and color. I have a couple nice Swiss watches, one marking my first major patent, another a big anniversary, and though nothing can touch them for beauty, the Moto 360 and a $1.24 watch face is pretty damn cool! So, below are a small collection of faces from various vendors. I think the imagination and expertise being displayed in watchface design, at incredible price points, could be a major impetus for the smartwatch trend to continue. It gives us an outlet for mood, fun, and focus. And hey, you can get some very readable designs — one gripe I always had was how hard it is to read the date in my fancy analog watches. The first two are from Omitsis (yes the second hands sweep….). then we have Planets from Zuhanden and Raw Vegan from Amba, which changes from day-to-day. Good for channeling your anima or in my case, making the (mostly) vegan wife happy.

Watch faces from Omitsa (2), Zuhanden and Amba