The young company has developed a modern and affordable timepiece that the wearer can both touch and see to tell time.

Eone is not your typical watchmaker. Yes, their models look distinctly different from your average timepiece, but the venture has a nice social purpose behind it as well.

The company was stared by Hyungsoo Kim, a graduate student at the highly respected Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He first came up with the idea to develop a new watch when he realized that people that are visually impaired don’t have much choice in terms of ways to tell the time. They are forced to choose between imprecise and usually unstylish tactile watches, or instead opt for talking watches that tell the user – and everyone in the vicinity – what time it is.

After consultations with designers and individuals with vision impairments – and bankrolled by a highly successful crowd funding campaign - the Bradley was born. The company’s signature timepiece, the Bradley is a sleek and modern timepiece that the wearer can both touch and see to tell time.

The watch is distinctly minimalist in design. It features raised hour markers with a smooth mirrored finish that allow the wearer to feel the time by touch. A triangular marker indicates 12, elongated lines mark 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, while shorter line segments make up the rest of the hour markers.

Instead of hands, two magnetized ball bearings travel around the watch face in two recessed tracks. One track goes around the center of the watch face to indicate the minutes, while the other track goes around the outside circumference of the case to indicate the hour.

The 40mm titanium case is not large by any means, but it has sufficient surface area so that users can also get an accurate feel for the dial and thus be able to tell the time simply through touch.

While the idea behind these watches was intended to help out those with visual impairments, these watches do not sacrifice anything in the looks department. In fact, I think that specifically designing the watch for the visually impaired has made them even more aesthetically pleasing for the average consumer.

Adding to the appeal is that the Bradley is very affordable. The regular retail model for this watch – when paired with a mesh stainless steel strap – goes for only $315 UDS.