121–130 of 209 posts
Would be cool to build one of these in real life! Doesn't seem that hard to build, perhaps hard to calibrate though.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If my presumption that analog watchfaces are dying and only used for "classical" looks (as evidenced by all those trendy "artistic" watchfaces that frequently don't even have marks), then I suspect it'll be another lie of a generation, just like I've been told to learn how to do math in my head because "there won't be any calculators around". I mean, analog watchfaces are bad at telling precise time - it's just that…
While analog watches aren't as precise, they are faster. It takes most people less time to process, as humans (apparently)[1] can interpret an image faster than numbers. For example, 189/304 vs [####__]; the latter is probably faster to process. Also, not related to clocks, but analog gauges in particular: a number lacks an important vector of information: rate of change. [1] https://books.google.nl/books?id=nrtUgKzF…
That’s an excellent analogy. If digital were as quick to process, we would simply have data tables everywhere and no need for data charts.
Unsure why, but this actually stresses me out. Never had anything trigger me like this (serious post).
Made me think about the Swiss Railways clock that has the second hand completing the circle in 58.5 seconds; all the clocks on the network then wait for the sync signal from the “master clock". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_railway_clock
The clocks in my elementary, middle, and high schools would do something similar. Not every minute, but every hour. At the top of the hour, when there was 15 seconds left, the second hand would make 3 second jumps until it hit the top, and then hold until the next hour started. I always thought that was a brilliant way to keep mechanical clocks in sync. And the system had been there since the 1970s, so it was well be…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If my presumption that analog watchfaces are dying and only used for "classical" looks (as evidenced by all those trendy "artistic" watchfaces that frequently don't even have marks), then I suspect it'll be another lie of a generation, just like I've been told to learn how to do math in my head because "there won't be any calculators around". I mean, analog watchfaces are bad at telling precise time - it's just that…
While analog watches aren't as precise, they are faster. It takes most people less time to process, as humans (apparently)[1] can interpret an image faster than numbers. For example, 189/304 vs [####__]; the latter is probably faster to process. Also, not related to clocks, but analog gauges in particular: a number lacks an important vector of information: rate of change. [1] https://books.google.nl/books?id=nrtUgKzF…
For the progress bars (or, say, tank level gauges) it totally makes sense - I like them the same way you've presented, it's easier to ingest [####__] (or, better, [####__]62%, so it can be also spelled out if someone's asking) than 189/304.
Linked book doesn't open for me, but I agree that this also applies to various instruments, especially in aviation, where IFR is of extreme importance. Though for a car I've picked mine specifically based on having a clear large digital speedometer (because unlike on an aircraft, cars 101% rely on seeing outside) and I'm always interested in speedometer reading for answering "how fast I'm going, exactly?" (speed limit comparison is a no-brainer, and with a precise reading I can maintain speed at +/-1mph of the desired target, which is impossible with an analog speedometer) rather than "am I slowing down or speeding up?" (I see this already).
But watches - when using for telling time - aren't really gauges, are they? Analog watchfaces can be (and are, by some) used as a gauge when measuring time intervals ("how long had passed", "how much time left"?), but again, like I wrote, I suspect that most people read the time then do the arithmetic rather than imagining a pie chart.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks for that. We had those as well. But third-grade me never really thought about the purpose. So it's fun to think about it now. In contrast, I'll sometimes now walk into a lobby or reception area of a business where they will have like five different analog clocks on the wall representing NY, Paris, London, etc, (trying to look "international" I guess) and the minute hands are out of sync. Kind of sad in 2023. :…
My gym has about 15 different clocks on the walls, and they all tell a different time, some of them egregiously so. Every few months (often after I mention it), someone will go around and fix the worst ones.
When Daylight Savings Time began, I sauntered in about 9am and my coworkers were filtering in too. The morning guy, "Matt" had been there since about 6am and he had changed the clocks. So my other coworker, "Jason" congratulated Matt for setting all the clocks correctly and then he asked him, "so did you do it by setting all four clocks ahead one hour, or did you move them all to the left and then move the Pacific clock to the Eastern position?" Facepalm!
That might be a good job interview question, or it would have been if manual, analog clocks were still a thing.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Anyone know if I can get this as an Apple Watch face? Currently, 3rd parties can't create custom Apple Watch faces.
What's the point of a smart watch if you can't change the dial and face however you want? It's like when carriers wouldn't let you load your own ring tones on to your phone, because they didn't want to cannibalize their own ring tone sales.
While I fully believe that Apple should open up to third-party faces, I am quite content with the customization options that they offer now.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If my presumption that analog watchfaces are dying and only used for "classical" looks (as evidenced by all those trendy "artistic" watchfaces that frequently don't even have marks), then I suspect it'll be another lie of a generation, just like I've been told to learn how to do math in my head because "there won't be any calculators around". I mean, analog watchfaces are bad at telling precise time - it's just that…
Analogue clocks are helpful in low visibility situations. I have one in my bathroom because when I first wake up my vision is too blurry to see the clock, but I can see where the hands are and know what time it is. They are also handy when the clock needs to be far away, like outside in the yard. You can read an analog clock from much farther away than a digital clock because you just need to make out the general pos…
The Babylonians were masters of division-based math, when the purpose was to divide things up into equal parts.
Started to fade from fashion when economics became about making things grow (increase the pie) rather than divide what they had (slice the pie).