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What is an unusual watch?
An unusual watch is a wristwatch that keeps ordinary time behind an extraordinary face: two rows of LEDs that show the hours and minutes in binary, a single hand that sweeps once a day, a dial where every hour is a maths equation, a skeleton that shows the movement working. Quartz or automatic movements, 36 to 44 mm cases, and a small puzzle every time you check the time.
11 modelsFrom £23.99Binary, equation, single hand, skeletonQuartz or automaticFree UK delivery over £45
Who is this collection for?
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For someone who reads the time differently
A binary watch, a single hand, an equation dial: for people who enjoy a small puzzle on the wrist.
🎁
For a graduation, a promotion or an engineer's birthday
A watch is the classic gift; an unusual one is the classic gift with a story.
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For maths, code and science lovers
Dials that show the time in binary, in equations or in one continuous sweep. Conversation starters at every meeting.
How to choose an unusual watch
Decide how much puzzle you want on the wrist: an equation dial reads at a glance once learnt, a binary watch takes a day to read fluently, a single hand watch changes how you think about time.
| Type | Best for | Movement | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equation and maths dials | Teachers, students, engineers | Quartz | £24 to £45 |
| Binary and LED watches | Coders, gadget lovers | Digital | £30 to £60 |
| Single hand and minimalist watches | Design lovers, slower days | Quartz | £40 to £90 |
| Skeleton and mechanical watches | Watch enthusiasts, collectors | Automatic | £90 to £702 |
Case size, strap material and water resistance are listed on every product page. Most are splash resistant; none are dive watches.
The science in two lines
A quartz watch counts the 32,768 vibrations per second of a tiny crystal; an automatic watch stores the energy of your wrist in a spring and releases it through an escapement that ticks several times a second. The binary watch simply shows the same minutes as powers of two, which is how every computer counts.
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Unusual Watches: your questions, answered
What is an unusual watch?
A watch that shows the time in an unexpected way: binary LEDs, a single hand, a dial made of equations, a mechanical skeleton. Quartz or automatic movements under an unusual face.
Are these watches accurate?
Yes. Quartz models keep time to seconds a month; automatic models to about a minute a month. The unusual part is the display, not the movement.
Is the binary watch hard to read?
Two rows of LEDs, one for hours and one for minutes; add up the lit values. Most people read it fluently after a day, and enjoy that nobody else can.
Are they water resistant?
Splash resistant in most cases, stated on each product page. None are dive watches.
What size are the cases?
From 36 to 44 mm. Case size, strap material and movement are listed on every product page.
Free UK delivery over £45 and 30 days to return it. For time on the wall rather than the wrist, our unusual wall clocks and Nixie clocks.