There is a new cult brand that launched about two years ago that has tech gurus and bloggers talking: Nooka. Marshall Sponder of Techcrunch 8 is one of Nooka's many fans.
Last night, my neighbor John Owens asked me to go to The Chelsea Art Museum for the launch of a new collection of timepieces from Nooka. Not expecting to buy anything, I went with an open mind. What did I find? The perfect gift for my best friend Shane Powers.
Shane is the hardest person on the planet to shop for. He never wears the conventional: no watches, jewelry, shirts with patterns, etc. Nooka is the ideal gift for that person who has everything. What are you giving them? A new way to tell time. Could Nooka be the next hot thing? I think so. On the design blog Core 77, Nooka is sponsoring a giveaway of 100 limited edition watches. Nooka watches work by battery operation and are largely made of steel or plastic. Nooka is made in the USA and starts at $175.00. What makes Nooka so special is the way that they tell time, by counting little blocks from left to right.
The Nooka website notes:
The linear and graphic representation of time with Nooka watches presents a more intuitive way to view time. The visual mass increases as time passes, giving weight to an ephemeral and abstract concept. Once you're used to the new visual paradigm, you may never go back to standard analog and digital time displays for your wrist.
It’s like an abacus, but has a 1980s Japanese aesthetic that reminded me of an Atari. Whether you’re a timepiece lover or not, I would suggest putting Nooka on your radar as a huge hot trend brand for 2007.
