I can’t disagree with either of the central points. I’ve been designing computer user interfaces for 20 years, and working on this particular product has at times been frustrating to me because of the restriction of hewing to the “mechanical model”, even one interpreted as liberally as ours is (we insist on things that look like moving mechanical parts, but play fast and loose with the practicality of actually implementing the mechanisms that would move them appropriately). And because we have that liberal interpretation, it does feel a bit like cheating to not be able to show the underlying mechanism.

Still, it’s been an interesting design challenge. My development partner insists on getting as close to we can to what the skies look like, and I insist on hewing to our limited mechanical model. As an example, as an amateur astronomer he hates the traditional clock/watch moonphase display because of the incorrect shape of the moon’s terminator near the new moon (the curve goes the wrong way), so we designed a mechanism with covering leaves to achieve the correct shape mechanically (http://emeraldsequoia.com/h/Chandra.html). I’d love to see that mechanism in a real watch or clock, although I suspect it’s essentially unimplementable because of the fine tolerances required. See, btw, our competitor “Sun Clock” for another clever way of mechanically showing the right terminator shape, although that wouldn’t work on a watch because of the thinness of the case.

Sorry to ramble on for so long. Anyway, J. Edwards, if you’d like to evaluate the app just email me at spucci@emeraldsequoia.com and we’ll send you a promo code to download it for free. I don’t expect to change your mind but it costs us nothing to give it to you.

– Steve

I have seen the Emerald Chronometer app, Cameron. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. I would take you up on your offer, but I hate the idea of taking your money. I am sure that for a lot of users it is a great app to have. Coming from the perspective of a watchmaker, however, it doesn’t hold any appeal for me. Other watchmakers may differ. I’m sure a lot of work went into creating it, but I have difficulty resolving the point behind it. There is a reason that certain astronomical information is displayed the way that it is on a watch, as its form dictates heavily how it functions. The iPhone is freed of those constraints and its form dictates content on a completely different level. I feel that iEphemeris takes much better advantage of the iPhone’s features. I only wish that it integrated even more seamlessly with the core functionality of the iPhone and iPod Touch than it already does. The bits and bytes that fuel Emerald Chronometer simply don’t do justice to the complex mechanisms it is attempting to emulate. If it simulated the mechanisms themselves, and not just the façades, I’d bite. For the mere functionality, though, I’d rather have an app tailored to the inherent characteristics of the iPhone.

Sarah, the contact email for Lititz is: info@lititzwatchtechnicum.org

Best of luck! In my opinion, it is the most beautiful watchmaking campus in North America. Not to mention well tutored and equipped, given its roots.

Thanks guys,