There is a reason why analogue watches - and rev counters - are the way they are. A very quick glance allows your subconscious mind to take a 'snapshot' of the face and store it, so that you know the time (or the revs) without having to think about it.
To make sense of a digital readout, on the other hand, you first have to read the numbers, and your brain then has to translate those numbers into words, before you can get a sense of just how late you are, which takes time and conscious effort.
But there are times when it's justified, as in the case of the Kisai Intoxicated Breathalyser Watch from Tokyoflash. The left side of the liquid-crystal screen is a slightly unusual digital time display, with the hours on top and the minutes below, but the narrower, right hand-side display is a self-contained breathalyser.
ARE YOU SAFE TO DRIVE?
Just breathe out on your wrist and it will tell you whether you're safe to drive, showing a sequence of lights from green to red rather like a conventional battery charger. Tokyoflash warns that there are too many variables involved for it to stand up in court, but it will certainly make you more aware of how easy it is to go over the limit during a night out with friends - and maybe call a cab instead of driving home.
Nevertheless , it's quite an achievement that Tokyoflash has succeeded in putting a workable breathalyser into a space roughly the size of four matchsticks - and bringing it to market for $149 (R1500). Click here to order online.
And in the current political climate, we can easily see the Nanny State mandating one in the key of every car on the market (like ABS and airbags) so that your car can decide whether you're fit to drive it home!
Until then, however, the Kisai watch will remain a party piece, a conversation starter and, just possibly, a life-saver.