“Who’s Behind the E-paper FES Watch?” on WSJ’s Digits blog:

As it seeks to differentiate itself in a competitive market, Sony is developing watches and bow ties using electronic paper.

A Sony spokesman said the Japanese electronics giant has a project in development called “Fashion Entertainments,” where it is studying how electronic paper can be used to make fashion products.

The most notable prototype the team has developed is a watch called Fes Watch, whose wristband is based on electronic paper and changes its appearance depending on the user’s gesture. The watch comes with 24 design patterns which can be selected manually.

But keeping the project under wraps has been the team’s strategy; the watch was put on an Internet crowdfunding site in September.

It has surpassed its initial goal of raising 2 million yen (US$17,000) in just three weeks and has already attracted 3.5 million yen from more than 150 supporters.

Sony declined to comment on an official release date, but crowd funding supporters are able to preorder and receive them after May next year, according to the project page.

“We hid Sony’s name because we wanted to test the real value of the product, whether there will be demand for our concept,” a person involved in the project said.

via The Next Web

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