unreadable minimalist watches

Sometimes, making things simpler makes things more complicated. Like telling the time on willfully minimalist watches. Watches can be minimalist and functional, but the examples here put form over function where the aesthetic gain may be questionable. There is one of these we actually really like, but we are not telling which.

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(Ranked by user votes) Vote on and review the contenders below.
1
This watch has a display which uses an ultra thin, flexible electro-luminescent panel, leaving a seemingly blank metallic face when not showing the time.<p /><p />The watch itself is fairly ordinary, its a shame there are not many alternative designs based on a similar idea.
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wistit »
Odm Pixel Watch. more...
(votes: +84)
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2
Pressing a button illuminated the otherwise blank face of this watch with orbiting red LED dots that represent the hands. Its a perfect example of a quirky play on making something more difficult (telling the time) by making it more simple.
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wistit »
Odins Rage Watch. more...
(votes: +70)
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3
"If you are into minimalism, not hung up on the exact time, and have a steady hand, this could be for you. "<p /><p />The time, or rather part of it, is displayed by the position of a single ball bearing which is drawn around the face by a magnet, behind it.
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wistit »
Handless, Numberless Odd Ball Watch. more...
(votes: +51)
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4
The O-ring has a total void at its center. Minutes are described by a segmented digital band, with hours displayed in numbers over the band. The result is truly willful.
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wistit »
Stark Fossil - O Ring. more...
(votes: +47)
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3 comments »
5
Stark has been living up to his name, with a series of starkly minimalist watches for Fossil. Fossil are trying to shake off their image of overcomplicated, cheap, baroque looking watches.<p /><p />This one is not too bad - a simple analog watch face with digital hands, it doesnt look like its trying too hard to be minimalist.
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wistit »
Stark Dish Digital. more...
(votes: +44)
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6
This watch was designed by Naoto Fukasawa for the Miyake brand. Unlike the other watches in this list, to be fair, Fukasawa has tried to make an ultra minimalist watch that is somewhat readable. The inner rim on the watch face is twelve sided representing each hour.
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wistit »
Issey Miyake Twelve. more...
(votes: +35)
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1 comment »
7
This is a cute pun, an analog watch based upon a 1 bit digital representation of one, rather like the original Apple timer.
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wistit »
Pixelated Icon Watch. more...
(votes: +32)
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1 comment »
8
Tokyo Flash is famous for selling unreadable abstract watches from Japan. However, they are rarely minimalist, like this one which tells the time via a rotating disk with a slot in it, and an orbiting dot.
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wistit »
Eye Test Watch. more...
(votes: +31)
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9
This watch has a single digit on its face, a five. Its a 5 o clock watch.
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wistit »
M Co 5 O Clock Watch. more...
(votes: +30)
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4 comments »
10
Although the Moma Store no longer carry this watch, if you read the comments after the link, it seems that it can be ordered direct from Japan.
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wistit »
Translucent Watch. more...
(votes: +24)
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11
Instead of having two hands anchored at the center, this timepiece has two dials on the outside turned with a ring. This requires a deep bevelled edge.
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wistit »
Issey Miyake Silar003 Ovo. more...
(votes: +21)
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1 comment »
12
Mario Botta is the architect of the competent, if not outstanding SFMoma. He also, it appears, single handedly designs single handed watches. <p /><p />Since one of his architectural trademarks is a narrow line from top to bottom of a facade, this faint lined watch would fit his obsession.
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wistit »
Mario Botta Single Hand Watch. more...
(votes: +19)
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