by Seiko watch design

JPEN
Ambidextrous watch

Designed by

Kento Ito

Kento Ito

Ito has experience designing home appliances, furniture, miscellaneous goods, information devices, etc. at a product design firm and an information device manufacturer. In 2018 he joined Seiko and now designs Astron watches.

The origins of the idea

Switching watches and breaking stereotypes
: A bowling alley revelation

I was at a bowling alley one fateful day, with a friend who was wearing his watch on his left hand. However, in the next moment, he switched it to his right hand and bowled with his left hand! Before the 10 pins even fell, my brain was jolted by a powerful shock. Normally, right-handed people wear watches on their left hands, and left-handed people wear them on their right hands. In that moment, these stereotypes were shattered. This led me to ponder a question: Does the hand that wears the watch significantly influence our thoughts, abilities, and actions?
Of the external environment and the exercising of human abilities, which is the cause and which is the effect? And what is the relationship between the question of "which hand you wear your watch on—left or right" and the question of "how the right brain and left brain work"? Perhaps the relationship is like that of the chicken and the egg. In other words, this watch designed for ambidextrous individuals is, at the same time, a tool for ambidextrous individuals to undertake self-innovation.


右脳左脳右脳左脳

Expert’s Comments

Dr. Toshinori KatoNeurologist, Doctor of Medicine,President of KatoBrain Co., Ltd

Dr. Toshinori Kato

I was originally left-handed, but since I switched to writing with my right hand at the age of four, I've always been mindful of my dominant hand in everything I do. I recall when I first went shopping for a watch in my 20s I found myself pondering, "Which hand does the watch go on?" While a watch can limit movement, the idea of a cross-dominant watch aligns with my belief in evenly utilizing every section of the brain through training. Wearing and reading the time on a watch engages memory, comprehension, visual, and motor systems.
Moreover, you can alter the way your brain functions simply by switching the side on which you wear your watch. Using the opposite hand to that wearing the watch not only changes the section of the brain in use, but also directs attention to the hand wearing the watch. Also, having a watch that can change its look in terms of its color and form enhances the clarity of awareness in the process of changing the watch from one hand to the other, creating a stimulating effect on the brain. This piece explores the concept of changing shapes as a metaphor. I get the feeling that this is the sort of watch that really should have existed from a long time ago. I sense that many cross-dominant individuals are often deep thinkers, and by wearing this watch, they may be able to tap into an incredible new way of using the brain.

The realization of the idea

A World first? The consideration behind designing an ambidextrous watch

This is not merely a watch that can be worn on either hand, but rather, it is a watch exclusively for ambidextrous people. We aim for this unconventional timepiece to provide strong stimulation to both your right and left brain, as well as your sense of beauty.

The angle at which the watch is viewed changes according to whether it is worn on the right hand or on the left hand. This shift in perspective results in a variation in the dial's color, showcasing a key feature of this ambidextrous watch.
The ambidextrous watch, when worn on the right hand, presents a bright white dial with a striking metallic color on the case exterior. The 12 o'clock index and triangular pointed hands are also distinctive features.
Worn on the left hand, the watch takes on a new look with a crisp black dial.
The hands and indexes undergo a drastic change while maintaining a sense of unity, prompting a shift in the viewer's train of thought.

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