Phosphor Makes Watches for the Future

Founded by Fossil's former VP of technology Donald Brewer, Phosphor is a new watch brand with a focus on modern technologies and compelling design. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, it is presently the only timepiece company in the world that uses the same E Ink system found in the Amazon Kindle. Phosphor also makes a line of watches (Phosphor Appear) that features the world's first mechanical digital watch movement based on the company's Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital Technology.

Phosphor is currently working on its latest line of touchscreen watches called Touch Time. Designed by former Nike+ design director Stefan Andren, Touch Time is the first and only digital watch that captures the functionality of a smartphone in a nice little wrist-sized package – and according to the company, it doesn't need to be synced or charged.

With Touch Time, the self-described team of watch fanatics behind Phosphor have created “what you should expect from a digital watch in the 21st century.” Unlike mobile phones and other electronic devices, digital watches have been left behind in terms of design and development – they still look and function like they did 20 years ago. Until now, that is.

Scheduled to launch this fall, Touch Time is entirely operated via touchscreen. It has seven time displays that can be changed with a swipe of a finger, as well as built-in smartphone-like apps such as multiple alarms, a calendar, a calculator, world time, reminder applications, and a stopwatch that can track up to 99 laps. Touch Time also supports several languages including English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Norwegian, and Swedish.

Phosphor is touting Touch Time not as a smartwatch, but as a “smart-er watch.” The unisex timepiece, which is powered by a replaceable coin cell battery (CR2032), is housed in a stainless steel case and comes with a silicone or stainless steel bracelet strap.