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GREEN LED DOT MATRIX WRISTWATCH
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You have no chance to survive make your time.

Green LED Dot Matrix Display Wristwatch, retail $39.99 (www.thinkgeek.com...)
Manufactured by Ximax (www.ximax.com.hk)
Last updated 07-09-13

***VERY IMPORTANT!!!***
This watch is jet black and absolutely defies being photographed properly; out of multiple attempts, this is the best one.

I've only reviewed two LED wristwatches prior to this, so please bear with me here.

You might remember LED wristwatches from the 1970s, heck, you might still have one.

The Green LED Dot Matrix Display Wristwatch is an LED watch that features a large display comprised of 80 ***GREEN*** LEDs!
It displays time in 12-hour (standard) or 24 hour (military) format; it also displays a brief animation before and after the time is displayed!
Like any decent digital wristwatch, it displays the date (month & day) as well.

It is waterproof and even submersible to 3 atmospheres (~100'), and it has a transparent, slightly magnifying glass crystal (window) protecting the dot matrix LED display on its upper surface.

Size of product w/hand to show scale

SIZE

This picture shows the watch on my wrist, like it's supposed to be worn.

The Green LED Dot Matrix Display Wristwatch comes ready to use right out of the bag. You may need to set the hour to the time zone you're in (see direcly below), but is otherwise ready to go right away.

The wristband is a standard leather buckle type; fasten it to your wrist & adjust the size much as you would use a belt on your pants.

To read the time, press & release the button on the upper left once.

To read the date, press & release the button on the upper left once, wait until the time is displayed, then press it a second time.

To set the watch, press the MODE button (the button at the upper left as you have the watch on) to display the time, then press & hold the SET button (the button at the upper right as you have the watch on) for several seconds, then release it.

The watch will first display 12 hour or 24 hour time ("12 H" or "24 H"); press the MODE button to change this to suit your preference. Then press & release the SET button.

The watch will now show the hours & minutes; the hours value (the leftmost) will be flashing. Press the MODE button to change the hours value from 00 to 12 (or 00 to 23 if you have the watch set to display 24 hour time). You may hold this button in to rapidly advance the hours value if desired.

Press the SET button again to cause the minutes value to flash. Press the MODE button to change the minutes value from 00 to 59. You may hold this button in to rapidly advance the minutes value if desired.

Press the SET button again more to get the day & month on the screen - the month value will flash. Press the MODE button to advance the month from 00 to 12. You may hold this button in to rapidly advance the month value if desired.

Press the SET button again to cause the day value to flash; press the MODE button one or more times to get the day to change from 01 to 31. You may hold this button in to rapidly advance the day value if desired.

Finally, press the SET button again to finish up and turn your watch's display off (the time will be displayed for several seconds before the watch actually deactivates).

It is not stated how the battery or batteries should be changed, so I don't have instructions for performing a battery change.

This watch has an advertised battery life of approx. 12 months - but it is not stated how many actuations per day this is based upon.

(Update 10-01-09): I figured out how to change the battery, pretty much as a means of necessity.

Using a sharp, stiff knife (a sturdy pocket knife or a "folder" {folding knife} should do the trick here), carefully pry the back off - note that I said "carefully" here so that you don't stab or cut yourself. Carry it to the bathroom, drop it in the {vulgar term for feces}bowl, and flush it awa...er...uh...SET IT ASIDE.

Inside the watch, you'll see a single CR2032 lithium coin cell held in place with a queer little spring steel clip. Use the point of your knife to gently pry up on one of the two "loops" fastening it to the white plastic portion of the watch. It should quite readily pop out at this point. Set that aside as well.

Again, using the point of your knife, gently lift up an edge of the dead battery; then remove & dispose of or recycle it as you see fit.

Place a new CR2032 lithium coin cell into the chamber, orienting it so that its button-side (-) negative goes in first.

Place that spring steel clip back on, and press those two "loops" on it into the two rectangular cutouts for them on the white part of the watch' body.

Place the back plate back on, and press down firmly on all sides (on the back plate itself, but near its edges) until it snaps into place.

If you're reasonably fast here, the time & date may not even require resetting.

Aren't you glad you didn't flush away that back plate now?

This is probably not the recommended way to change the battery, but no instructional materials were furnished stating the correct procedure, and the aforementioned method did work fine in this case.

***VERY IMPORTANT!!! ***
That spring steel clip is not electrically connected to the watch -- the watch will function properly without it. Its primary purpose appears to be as a battery retainer. So if this clip should become broken or lost, a battery retainer can be fashioned by placing a small quantity of balled-up household aluminum foil or a thin rubber "bung" or "disc" on top of (and at or very near the center of) the CR2032 cell just before putting the back plate on.

Because this is a watch meant to be worn on the wrist and not a flashlight meant to be carried around, thrashed, trashed, and abused, I won't try to drown it in the potty, bash it against a steel rod or against the concrete floor of a patio, let my housemate's citty kats

go to the litterbox on it, run over it with a 450lb Celebrity motorised wheelchair, stomp on it, use a small sledgehammer in order to bash it open to check it for candiosity, fire it from the cannoñata, drop it down the top of Mt. Erupto (I guess I've been watching the TV program "Viva Piñata" too much again

(yes, I watched four episodes of this program just yesterday!!!) - candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piñata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoñata (also located at Piñata Central) is only used to shoot piñatas to piñata parties away from picturesque Piñata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on picturesque Piñata Island), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or perform other indecencies on it that a flashlight might have to have performed on it. So this section of the web page will be ***SIGNIFICANTLY*** more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.

It reads on the back that it's water-resistant to 3 atmospheres - that's just a tick under 100 feet.
Since it *IS* rated at being water-resistant, let's try "The Toliet Test" on it and see what happens...BBS...

And here's proof that I really dropped this wristwatch in the commode.
After being submerged in ~11" of water for one minute, no leakage or malfunctions were detected.

***VERY IMPORTANT!!!***
This is the clean part of the water closet - the water here is actually potable (drinkable) if you do not use an "in tank" bowl cleaner, so the Green LED Dot Matrix Display Wristwatch did not have to be disinfected after this test.

I did attempt to cut through the crystal (top window that protects the LED display) with the blade of a folding knife, and I was not successful.
Would I really try to cut up the crystal of a brand spanken new wristwatch I paid perfectly good money for?
You bet your sugar-coated toliet muscle (sweet patootie) I would, if it's in the name of science.

The pre- and post-time display animations are very cool, and (in my opinion anyway) are short enough to not be bothersome over the long term.

The only thing that even remotely pisses me off about this watch is that you have to hold your forearm somewhat vertically (straight up) in order to read it, rather than sideways as you would read the time on most (if not all other) wristwatches.

Here's a photograph of it compared to the wristwatch that I usually use.

As a wristwatch, I think it's quite nice. And to see real live LEDs in it, that's even better.

I love LEDs and things made with them, and this watch is no exception

I went out to the patio on Saturday afternoon, and found I could not read the watch in direct sunlight, but could read it in the shade. So if you're in direct sunlight a lot, this may not be the right watch for you; but if you are in or have ready access to shade, or if you spend a lot of time indoors or in the shade, no problem at all. This is a characteristic of virtually ***ALL*** digital watches that use LEDs for their display, so I do not consider this a negative at all.

A picture showing the watch displaying the time (5:58pm).
It displays time in 12-hour or 24-hour (military format).

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch.

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch; newer spectrometer software settings used.

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 510nm and 560nm to pinpoint peak wavelength, which is 538.19nm.

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch; newest (01-13-13) spectrometer software settings used.

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch; newest (01-13-13) spectrometer software settings used. Spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 530nm and 550nm to pinpoint peak wavelength, which is 535.790nm.

The raw spectrometer data (comma-delimited that can be loaded into Excel) is at http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/42/gledwatc.txt

USB2000 Spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the watch displaying a brief animation, followed by the time.
This clip is approximately 0.94 megabytes (957,380 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than four minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the watch displaying a brief animation, followed by the time, followed by another brief animation.
This clip is approximately 2.08 megabytes (2,157,648 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than ten minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the watch displaying the time, followed by a brief animation.
This clip is approximately 1.56 megabytes (1,703,576 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than seven minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

There are two additional animations not shown in these movie clips.
Among my favourite ones so far is when a Pac Man-like character "eats" the dots - they
turn off as the character slowly moves from left to right (see the last movie clip above!

I cannot provide them in other formats, so please do not ask.

An episode of Star Trek: Voyager was playing on the boob tube when the first two recordings were made;
and an episode of Zoey 101 was playing when the third recording was made.
This product is not sound-sensitive, and the sound may be ignored or muted if desired.

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the watch's startup animation sequences.
This clip is approximately 4.48 megabytes (4,674,772 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than eighteen minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

An episode of Zoey 101was playing on the boob tube when this recording was made.
This product is not sound-sensitive, and the sound may be ignored or muted if desired.

Video showing the watch's entire suite of animations in its new home (the steering arm of my Pride® Celebrity X3 Scooter) since the band was irrepairably damaged and spare parts are no longer available (as the watch is no longer made).

This video is approximately 127.4234656389 megabytes (128,374,658 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than six hundred thirty seven minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

Photograph showing the watch on my scooter's control panel.

TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on the ThinkGeek website on 07-06-08, and was received on the afternoon of 07-11-08.

Product was made in Hong Kong.
A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I published it on this web page.

UPDATE: 07-17-08
I intentionally left this watch on while using the shower, and {spoken like Gomer Pyle} surprise surprise SURPRISE...***NOT***!!!
Nothing bad happened to it.

I have decided to rate this watch 4½ stars and place it in The Trophy Case on this website.
The primary reason it did not receive five stars is because you have to cock your arm oddly in order to read the time and/or date.

UPDATE: 07-25-08
The update I made just below the movie clips (of the closing animation sequences) will most likely be the last update I make to this website from this address (1090 Lake Front Dr.); subsequent updates will take place at my new address - though this address is tentatively scheduled to be temporary - 6 to 12 months maximum. Then I'll have to go through all of this rigamarole again.

UPDATE: 08-16-08
When reading the time from this watch (or any other digital watch for that matter), although it's inherently more accurate, you eventually begin to think as you might when reading the time on an analogue wristwatch. For example, when this watch displays "8:38", you almost automatically think to yourself "O it's twenty to nine".

UPDATE: 08-30-08
I made a video clip showing the watch's "startup" animation sequences; please see above.

UPDATE: 09-07-08
Here are two photographs showing the time and the date.
Can you tell the difference between them?

The time display has a colon (two dots vertically with a space between them).
And the date display has a single dot between the month & the day numerals.

UPDATE: 10-03-08
The "Pac Man" animation (to me anyway) resembles Pac Man with a stinger - that is, at the back of the "chewing end", there is a dot (possibly two at times) that looks a lot like an insect's sting when the animation is moving.

UPDATE: 10-11-08
Every time I see the "Pac Man" animation, I "hear" part of the song "Pac Man Fever", but sung to the tune of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever".
So I'd "hear" something like this:

Pac Man fever

{three guitar chords increasing in frequency}

Pac Man fever

{three guitar chords decreasing in frequency; followed by a similar progression}

Pac Man fever

UPDATE: 11-23-08
One of the tiny screws has fallen out of the watch; two of them are used to affix the watchband to each end of the watch.
Here, let's show you with a photograph...snap!!! click!!! and it's off to the Fotomat we go:

See the missing screw on the left side of the band in this photograph?

UPDATE: 12-09-08
I have contacted ThinkGeek with regards to obtaining a replacement screw (I attempted to contact the manufacturer directly, but the email address on their website is not valid), so all I can do now is wait & see.

UPDATE: 12-10-08
I've been informed that the manufacturer no longer makes this wristwatch, so I was unable to get a screw for it.
Below, is the email I received from the retailer from whom I originally purchased this watch:

Dear Craig,

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued, and I am not sure where a replacement piece would be available. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks again,

{name omitted to help protect his privacy}

As a result, the dreadful "

" icon will now appear next to its listings on this website, indicating that the product is no longer being made or is no longer available from this source.

I will attempt a repair with cyanoacrylate ("super glue") and/or epoxy as time permits.

UPDATE: 03-05-09
I have attempted a repair to this watch's band with Mighty Mendit; the repair appears to have indeed been successful - but determining its long-term success will be one of those "only time will tell" situations.

UPDATE: 03-09-09
I shot a video showing all four of this watch's "closing" animations, so you can see them and the order in which they appear.

WMP movie (.avi extension) showing all four "closing" animations.
This clip is approximately 9.832 megabytes (9,902,864 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than forty nine minutes (!) to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.

UPDATE: 03-17-09
Here's a photograph of this watch displaying today's date - March 17.
Since this is a GREEN LED watch, and today is St. Patrick's day, I thought it appropriate.

Note the displayed date: 3-17

UPDATE: 08-09-09
The repair I made on 03-05-09 with the Mighty Mendit has failed. I'm also not able to gain access to the battery compartment (accessed by removing the watch back, which I've so far been unsuccessful at even with the aid of a sharp knife) to attempt to change the batteries.

UPDATE: 09-29-09
I've finally been successful in executing a battery change...please see the appropriate section farther up this web page to see how it is accomplished.

UPDATE: 10-03-09
This watch displays the leading zero ("0") in the "day" portion of the date, as the following photograph indicates:

I believe this is done to keep the animation quality level high; without the leading zero, it might not look as nice.

UPDATE: 12-13-09
More evidence that you may still eventually think in analogue terms even though this is a *DIGITAL* watch...a couple of mornings ago, I was outside having a smoke and checked the time. The watch read "6:49" yet I thought to myself "it's ten minutes to seven" -- but the watch actually indicated that it was eleven minutes to seven.

UPDATE: 01-31-10
For an as-of-yet unknown reason, this watch mysteriously lost 25 minutes on the morning of 01-26-10.
I checked the time on it; the watch read 7:13am; the clock in my cellular telephone (which did read the time correctly) indicated the time as 7:38am.

UPDATE: 01-30-12
The O-ring became broken while I was performing a battery change; as a result, the "submersible to 100 feet" parameter has just become null & void on this particular wristwatch. As a result, the somwhat dreadful "

" icon will now be appended to its listings on this website, indicating that one or more parts have become lost or broken, but that the product still retains the majority of its functionality.

UPDATE: 03-01-12
This watch does not honour leap year; yesterday's date displayed as "3-01" instead of "2-29".

UPDATE: 07-24-12
This watch has been retired from wrist duty because another screw holding the watchband on fell off at some unknown time in recent history. I may remove the band entirely and fasten the watch itself to either the tiller of my Pride® Celebrity X3 Scooter or to the control panel of my Quickie® Pulse 6 Electric Wheelchair.
Because of the band failure and the watch's subsequent retirement from being used as intended, the dreadful " Failed or was destroyed during/after testing

Failed or was destroyed during/after testing

" icon will be appended to its listings on this website.

Here is a photograph showing not only the missing screw, but delamination of the band that is also occurring:

PROS:
It's super cool!!! (or "kool" or "kewl")
Green LED display is totally unique
Animations before & after time/date are also unique
Water-resistant - even submersible
Battery it needs is fairly easily available - for a watch battery anyway

CONS:
User needs to position his or her arm quite differently than other watches in order to read time and/or date
Battery changing is a bit fiddly; but not horribly so

MANUFACTURER: Ximax
PRODUCT TYPE: LED digital wristwatch
LAMP TYPE: Green LED (Dot-matrix-type LEDs)
No. OF LAMPS: 80
BEAM TYPE: N/A
SWITCH TYPE: Momentary pushbuttons for "mode" and "set"
CASE MATERIAL: Stainless steel body, mineral glass crystal, leather band
BEZEL: Mineral glass crystal (window) protects LED display
BATTERY: 1x CR2032 lithium coin cell
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
WATER RESISTANT: Yes
SUBMERSIBLE: Yes, to just under 100 feet
SIZE: Case width: 1.2" (30.0mm), height: 1.7" (43.0mm), thickness: 0.375" (10.0mm)
WEIGHT: 60 grams
ACCESSORIES: Battery
WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

PRODUCT RATING:

Because this product is not intended to emit
light, the standard "star" rating will not be used.

Green LED Dot Matrix Wristwatch * www.thinkgeek.com...

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