Cool Hunting

The year was 1958 and in a fresh spark of innovation one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious watch companies—Patek Philippe—designed the Cobra watch, unique for its unusual time display and aggressive profile. Time is displayed through two graduated linear openings showing the hour and minute marks which are printed in a spiral on rollers, thus eliminating the traditional dial and hands.

The Cobra, like many other Patek watches, was designed by the renowned watchmaker Louis Cottier, who is perhaps best known for inventing the practical World Time system (a dual dial watch with two crowns that permits the wearer to set each dial to a different time zone).

The Cobra's high production cost prevented it from being produced, and this functioning prototype was the only one known to have been made. The fact that this watch never quite had its moment in the sun makes it an obscure but inspirational model of futuristic design.

More images here, click above photo for detail.

By Watchismo and Todd Thomas

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