WBOTD 8/11/12: Phosphor

For all the retro 70s digital watch lovers out there:

Phosphor is a new brand entrant in the luxury timing industry. The philosophy is to marry sharp design with next generation technologies to produce a line of watches that convey style and uniqueness. The E Ink display offers the user the unique ability to change the appearance of the watch dial as well as present the date and time information.

Electronic ink is a proprietary material that is processed into a film for integration into electronic displays. Revolutionary in concept, electronic ink is a fusion of chemistry, physics and electronics to create this new and unique material. The principal components of electronic ink are millions of tiny micro capsules, about the diameter of a human hair. In one incarnation, each microcapsule contains positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the micro capsule where they become visible to the user, making the surface appear white at that spot. At the same time, an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the micro capsules where they are hidden. By reversing this process, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule, which now makes the surface appear dark at that spot.