13 More Geeky Watches for GeekDads

With recent rumors about a possible October 8 release for the much-anticipated Apple iWatch, it’s a good time to take a look at another collection of geeky watches that may not be smart, but they’ll certainly make a bold statement.

Fenix 2

As pointed out in the comments of the previous 13 Geeky Watches, there was no mention of a good GPS watch. So here then is the Garmin Fenix 2 (pronounced Phoenix), a really good GPS adventure watch. $400.

Zub Zirc 20 Adventure Time BMO

BMO always knows what time it is. And now, thanks to this totally math watch from Nooka, so will you. $80.

Bremont Codebreaker

Developed in conjunction with Bletchley Park, best known as the place where the secret codes of the Axis Powers were cracked during World War II, this watch is made with real pieces of an actual Enigma machine rotor and wood from the floorboards of Hut 6, the building at Bletchley Park where the Enigma code data was processed, analyzed, and cracked. The front of the watch is elegant, yet it’s the back of the watch—designed to resemble the drum of a bombe machine (invented by crypto-analyst Alan Turing) and encrypted with a (simple) coded message—that shows off its historical influences. Learn more about the development of this unique watch in Bremont’s pre-release movie. Limited to 240 pieces in steel ($18,500) and 60 pieces in 18-karat gold ($33,995).

Appear

This watch uses electrical pulses, magnets, and rotors adorned with crystals to display the time. How does that work? Each minute a generated electrical field changes the position of the crystals on the watch face to mark the passing of time, accompanied by a special sound unique to Phospor watches. $225.

Star Wars Collector’s Watches

A series of classy and well-designed (apparently by people with deep knowledge of Star Wars) watches for the serious Star Wars aficionado. Choose from Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, R2D2, or Stormtrooper designs. Each variant is enhanced with tiny details—like the Red 5 on the Luke Skywalker watch and the radar-style watch hands on the R2D2 watch. Each piece comes with a collector’s certificate and serial number. $200.

Midnight Planétarium

This extremely fantastic timepiece is a representation of six miniaturized planets from the Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), each hand-carved from a different stone, circling a Sun crafted of pink gold on separate discs. But here’s the cool part: each planet moves around the watch true to its actual length of solar orbit. Yes, it will take the watch’s Saturn over 29 years to make one complete trip around the dial, while Jupiter will take almost 12 years, Mars 687 days, Earth 365 days, Venus 224 days, and Mercury 88 days. A pink gold shooting star tells you the time as it moves around the dial’s 24-hour markers. This supremely geeky watch, which boasts 396 separate parts, comes at a premium price. $245,000.

The Bradley

This watch, the product of a successful Kickstarter campaign (raising nearly $595,000 over a goal of $40,000), features raised hour markers and a system of magnets and two ball bearings (one inset on the side and one to indicate the hour and one inset in a groove on the watch face to indicate minutes) that allows the wearer to quickly tell the time just by touching the watch. Initially designed for the visually impaired, The Bradley (named for Bradley Snyder, a former naval officer who lost his eyesight in an explosion in Afghanistan and subsequently went on to win gold and silver medals in swimming at the 2010 Paralymics) is a great-looking watch for anyone. $225 (pre-order).

Excalibur Automatic Knights of the Round Table

This one’s for fans of medieval culture or Arthurian Legend. At each hour marker of this striking watch stands a knight pointing a sword toward the Tudor rose at the center of the watch. The distinctive figures (King Arthur and 11 of his knights, one presumes) are cast in gold and exquisitely carved by hand, and the dial itself is a miniature representation of the Winchester Round Table. On the back, circling a crest of three crowns in a blue field, an engraved knight’s statement reads: “Around this table, all in equality, will sit the most valiant knights. From this room, they will set out to seek challenges, to undo wrongs, to protect the weak, and to bring down the proud.” Limited to 88 Pieces. $161,000.

Retro Arcade Watch

Hearken back to the days of yesteryear when you could spend all day in the arcade blasting space rocks on a single quarter. This tiny cabinet-style game displays the time with a little ship (the second hand) and two asteroids (the hour and minute hands). Plus, when you press the fire button, the hour markers light up and the watch sounds off with the classic “pew pew pew.” Alas, the joystick is ornamental. Created by ThinkGeek. $50.

Kisai RPM Gold

It’s not an Iron Man watch (they say it’s DJ-themed) but, well, just look at it. When people see this gold watch with turntable-style glowing red LEDs, they’ll ask you, “Hey, is that an Iron Man watch?” How you answer is up to you. Like many watches from TokyoFlash, the Kisai RPM has a unique way of displaying the time. Check out the video, where you’ll learn that, “Telling the time is almost the same as a regular clock.” $189.

Lego Watch

You asked for it, you got it. Lego offers a series of classic, functional watches for adults, in both digital and analog designs. $85 to $105.

Moon Orbiter

Made with steel from the Apollo 11 spacecraft and a mineral coating containing authentic moon dust, this massive (3/4″ thick), space-themed watch features an off-center clock at the 3 o’clock position, a similarly off-centered flying tourbillon at the 9 o’clock position, and a power reserve indicator at six o’clock. Limited to 25 pieces but still cheaper than a flight into space. $115,000.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer

James Bond’s Watch. The previous list of 13 watches included the Omega Seamaster, which has been worn by Mr. Bond in recent movies. But as commenter Carl Belles pointed out, in Ian Fleming’s original novels Bond always wore a Rolex. And in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the eleventh book in the series first published in 1963, Bond checks his “wrist-watch, a heavy Rolex Oyster Perpetual on an expanding metal bracelet. Used properly, these could be turned into most effective knuckle busters.” Fashionable and functional. $6,000.