Way before the Apple Watch or the Pebble existed, we had the big screen to thank for giving us a glimpse at what a smartwatch could one day look like. There was Dick Tracy’s radio-packing timepiece, Captain Kirk’s wrist-worn communication device and for 80’s movie buffs, Snake Plissken’s (aka Kurt Russell’s) health tracking countdown watch from Escape from New York.
If you need a refresher of what went down in the John Carpenter directed flick, it’s 1997 and Snake Plissken has 24 hours to rescue the President from the country’s largest prison – New York City. The US Police Force gives Plissken the countdown watch along with a gun and a two-way radio to complete his mission.
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That countdown watch is being brought to life on Kickstarter by the Ridgewood Watch Company and it’s equipped with a retro design inspired by the 1981 film. The Lifeclock One includes a genuine leather strap, brass enclosure and that big red LED display that can tell the time, display the date and world clocks, work as a stopwatch and even includes a countdown timer mode.
There’s smartwatch features on board too including the ability to receive push and app notifications. It’ll also count steps, control your smartphone camera and even packs in a compass.
The Lifeclock One will pair with iOS and Android devices and will also be splash proof so just make sure you don’t go swimming with this hulking smartwatch around your wrist. According to the campaign page, battery life is around 36 hours, with the power sapping retro display proving a sticking point for getting more than a couple of days use out of it.
The Lifeclock One is hoping to raise $200,000 and has (amazingly) already hit the $20,000 mark with more than a month to run on the Kickstarter campaign.You’ll need to pledge more than $249 to get one and you can expect to wander the streets looking like Snake Plissken by May 2017.
SOURCE:http://www.wareable.com/smartwatches/escape-from-new-york-smartwatch-kickstarter-3443
