BEARING THE TIME -
A REVIEW OF THE BRADLEY TIMEPIECE
JACKIE BROWN
INTRODUCING THE BRADLEY TIMEPIECE
When Bradley Snyder lost his sight while serving as a bomb diffuser in the Afghan conflict in 2011, he wanted to find a quick way of telling the time. And so an idea for the award-winning Bradley Timepiece was born.
Bradley, an ex-Naval Officer, went onto win gold and silver at the 2012 Paralympic games in London. In collaboration with designers, engineers and those with sight loss, the Bradley Timepiece has won numerous awards, and is worn by blind and sighted people alike.
USING THE BRADLEY
Its unusual design sets the Bradley Timepiece apart from any traditional tactile watch worn by someone with little or no sight. There are no hands, and no lid to open and close. Instead, two small ball bearings indicate the hours and minutes as they rotate the watch in separate magnetic rings. The ball bearing representing the hour is secured inside the outermost ring on the watch, while the other ball bearing sits in the inner ring. Each hour is represented by a tactile bar with a prominent v-shape at number 12 for easy reference, and longer bars at 3, 6, and 9. The winding stem is positioned at number 3, and can be pulled out to alter the time. Because the ball bearings are secured magnetically, they will revert to the correct time if they are accidentally moved. A gentle shake of the wrist is all that is required to correct their position.
When I felt the Bradley for the first time, I was very excited by its tactile environment, and by how stylish sighted people said it looked. Good tactile watches have been harder to come by in recent years, with loose closures and limited choice.
But the Bradley Timepiece is not cheap. It is sold in the UK by the Dezeen Watch Store in London. The black version is £250.00, and the silver colour £230.00. There is no physical difference in the two watches. While this seems an excessive price for something that only offers the time with no extra bells and whistles, it is fair to point out that the watch has been manufactured to an extremely high standard by US design company Eone,and is fitted with a steel bracelet strap.
The Bradley is also beautifully packaged in a plush velvet lined box complete with Braille booklet with the words “The Bradley Timepiece, designed to touch and see” written in Braille on the outer cover.
CONCLUSION AND AVAILABILITY
This was a lovely Christmas present from my husband. I find it convenient to identify the time by just a simple touch of the ball bearings without the familiar click of a typical Braille watch closure. This makes the Bradley a most private option. My only difficulty was with the bracelet strap which I struggled to fasten on my own. I had to take it to a local shop so that the strap could be adjusted to fit my slim wrist, yet I still found it difficult to do up myself. In the end, I sourced a lovely silver expandable strap to match the same colour ball bearings, which now makes wearing the Bradley safer and even more delightful. This is an unusual, stylish unisex watch that would grace any wrist.
For further information, contact the Dezeen Watch Store on 020 3327 1233, or visit