The adaptable FES Watch by Japanese digital technology brand Fashion Entertainments is made completely out of electronic paper, including the wristband and face, which allows it to easily change its appearance.
The watch changes its appearance based on user gestures: it appears black until the wearer lifts their arm to check the time, and then the display comes to life. The user can choose from 24 patterns, including mock metal and faux leather. The display can be selected and changed through the winder button on the side of the face.
Each watch is made out of a single piece of the e-paper, giving it a seamless finish. The hour is shown as a number (the current hour being the only number on the display), while a watch hand shows the minutes.
Thin, light and flexible, e-paper is a display medium that looks like paper but whose appearance can be electronically changed countless times. This innovative watch design exploits the potential of e-paper to be used as fabric, allowing a lot of freedom in the design.
A crowd-funding campaign that allowed customers to pre-buy the FES Watch was launched in September 2014 and it quickly gained a significant amount of support. In November 2014 it was revealed that Japanese electronics titan Sony was behind the product; it had kept its involvement secret so that consumers could make an objective judgement on the merits of the watch without the association. Supporters of the crowd-funding campaign will receive the first batch once the product has launched in May 2015.
Fashion Entertainments plans to launch other products made of e-paper, including bowties and hat accessories.
The watch will be exhibited at Ventura Lambrate during Milan Design Week 2015.
