This Is the E-Ink Watch of the Future

It might look like a far-fetched timepiece from a sci-fi flick, but this design concept by Jonathan Frey uses E-Ink technology that’s becoming commonplace today. Not only is E-Ink breaking sales records inside Amazon Kindles and other e-readers — it’s making its debut in watches as well.

This two-display beauty uses E-Ink on both screens. The bottom screen shows its striped numerals over a sinister black background, while the top display’s day and date peek through a grid of shiny black metal. Everything is controlled with buttons on the side.

I’ve worn and reviewed an E-Ink watch, and it proved itself to be more energy efficient than conventional watches with LCD displays. An E-Ink watch drains its battery the most when it’s changing its numerals; the rest of the time it simply keeps time while it displays the results of the electronically charged rearrangement of its particles.

Another advantage: Designers love it. E-Ink displays can be configured in radically different ways from their LCD forebears, including curved surfaces that really do look like something you might see on the wrist of Captain Picard on the deck of the USS Enterprise. And later this year, color E-Ink displays will become available.

There’s no telling when this watch might see the light of day, but given the rapid expansion of E-Ink technology, watches like this can’t be too far off.