De Grisogono Meccanico DG all-mechanical digital watch

See, now we're torn. Do we spend our imaginary rainbow dollars on that Real Crystal LED Watch concept we saw the other day, or do we pretend like we could ever scrap together enough pennies to afford this very real De Grisogono Meccanico DG timepiece? The watch is apparently the first all-mechanical digital watch -- no LED trickery here -- and is sure to cost a fortune. Only 177 of 'em are being built.

[Via Sybarites]

[Jordan @ Apr 11th 2008 3:30AM]

How does the screen work if there it has no digital components?

[Matt @ Apr 11th 2008 4:11AM]

Uh, just a guess that it works the same way that every mechanical clock works?

[gad get @ Apr 11th 2008 4:33AM]

You'll have to forgive him. He grew up with digital watches, digital radio tuners, digital friends, and digital cereal bowls. He's not accustomed to the "mechanical" way of doing things.

[Dan The Good Man @ Apr 11th 2008 3:32AM]

So, I guess one of these won't be in a contest anytime soon?

[Ellianth @ Apr 11th 2008 10:54AM]

if it is, it'll be us only!

(yes, I'm bitter. So what?)

[=| | G I T \ |_ @ Apr 11th 2008 3:36AM]

Impressive, yet stupid.

[LordFarkward @ Apr 11th 2008 3:45AM]

i can't yet quite grasp the concept of how something can be impressive and stupid at the same time...

i guess your comment is deep, yet dumb, then.

[|Geektorious Maximus| @ Apr 11th 2008 3:48AM]

How about we should care to not care???

[gad get @ Apr 11th 2008 4:26AM]

Do you know what "impressive" and "stupid" actually mean? They're hardly mutually exclusive qualities. Something could easily be impressive and stupid at the same time.

Sorry to bust your burble.

[0megapart!cle @ Apr 11th 2008 10:30AM]

The Macbook Air is the quintessential example of the impressive yet stupid device.

[Ellianth @ Apr 11th 2008 10:55AM]

wait.. the Macbook Air was impressive?

[|Geektorious Maximus| @ Apr 11th 2008 3:36AM]

Bling Bling!

[maddy @ Apr 11th 2008 3:47AM]

why 177?

[Lupo @ Apr 11th 2008 5:00AM]

thats the number of wealthy people who would not ask that question

[fischju @ Apr 11th 2008 3:50AM]

"..all-mechanical, digital.."

Isn't that analog?

[Christian @ Apr 11th 2008 4:28AM]

It is analog, with the hands above it but the way I see it, it acts as a digital with the rotating barrels with color on one side and a black one on the other to make it look like it's changing some lcd look. it's more like faux-digital.

[paul34 @ Apr 11th 2008 4:55AM]

digital - as in, DIGITal.

It is mechanical but shows discrete digits, and as such, I guess it is one form of "digital."

Fascinating!

[Diamamet @ Apr 11th 2008 7:41AM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital

--- quote ---
A digital system uses discrete (that is, discontinuous) values to represent information for input, processing, transmission, storage, etc. By contrast, non-digital (or analog) systems use a continuous range of values to represent information.
--- quote ---

Although, I guess you could argue that many analog things are digital given a high enough resolution.

[|Geektorious Maximus| @ Apr 11th 2008 3:51AM]

The other 23 go to starving rich kids in Africa I guess.

[milkshark @ Apr 11th 2008 4:03AM]

good watch

[mutammim @ Apr 11th 2008 4:28AM]

wow, a wearable oxymoron. nothing is impossible indeed.

[Isak? @ Apr 11th 2008 4:44AM]

What an ugly piece of crap. Good luck with your, prohibitively expensive, ugly watch.

[Generic @ Apr 11th 2008 4:45AM]

Design-wise the Opus V runs around this watch in circles.
http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/20/harry-winston-opus-v-watch-with-satellite-hour-display/

All-mechanical is not enough to win me over and I am still not a fan of ugliness.

[dervheid @ Apr 11th 2008 4:52AM]

OK. It may not be to everyones taste, but as a piece of mechanical engineering and miniaturisation it's fucking amazing.
Yes, I'd have one if I had the cash.

[Anup Jadhav @ Apr 11th 2008 5:36AM]

@=||GITzI_ : I don't think it's stupid...I think uber cool...Is something wrong with me ...

[watt @ Apr 11th 2008 1:02PM]

Don't let the ignorami get ya down. It is a cool watch and kudos to you for appreciating the whimsical and meticulous.

[Morgan @ Apr 12th 2008 9:40AM]

Steampunk fans like me would love to be able to afford something like this. I don't even wear a watch anymore but I love the concept of this one.

[Xepol @ Apr 11th 2008 6:04AM]

Wow - nice watch. The geek in me desperately wants this - the cheapskate in me wonders how long it will take for a 10$ knock off to appear in the mall.

[mf @ Apr 11th 2008 7:55AM]

It's a MECHANICAL watch (as opposed to electronic).
Its upper display is ANALOG (continuously turning hands)
Its lower display is DIGITAL: everyone of its components can display two values: on/gold or off/black. Two values = binary aka digital, mkay?

[Andrea @ Apr 11th 2008 8:36AM]

Not to be picky, however, for accuracy's sake it's not just 177...

"Launched to mark an exceptional horological year at de GRISOGONO, the MECCANICO dG is being produced in a limited edition of 177 watches in titanium and 177 in white gold."

[Miss Yu @ Apr 11th 2008 9:05AM]

I just hope when they actually build this thing, they can make the upper half agree with the lower half far better than the concept drawing did.

[watt @ Apr 11th 2008 1:01PM]

That's a feature. According to the article you can have it display two time zones at once, one in fauxe analog (the hands move a discrete distance each second, making them digital :-P ) and one in regular digital.

[Amerist @ Apr 11th 2008 10:11AM]

Nice watch. That's a very cool idea. Hopefully this is one of those watches that uses the weighted disc inside and automatically winds itself when your arm moves like Rolexes.

[KidDooc @ Apr 11th 2008 10:36AM]

Actually, the article (which I read this time) says 177 in Platinum, and another 177 in white gold.

[Loonie @ Apr 11th 2008 11:29AM]

That... is an absolutely stunning piece of engineering. I want one. I suspect, however, that it will probably cost as much as a solid platinum Bugatti.

[mbee @ Apr 11th 2008 3:56PM]

It remembers me a previous digital/mechanic watch concept... Designed by me!
http://diisign.free.fr/?p=808