Arguably one of the most famous and influential singer-songwriters in modern music – hell, one of the most important of the whole 20th century – Stevie Wonder’s unique mix of soul, rhythm and blues, gospel, funk and jazz has made him a living legend. If it was just hits like Superstition that’d one thing, but he was also one of the pioneers of digital sampling and helped shape popular music for decades.
To put that all into figures, he was the youngest ever person to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 100; he holds the joint record for most Album of the Year awards and has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Aside from winning Grammys more times than most people have actually watched the ceremony though, he’s also one of the most effortlessly cool dudes in music, with his soul-slanted outfits, signature sunglasses and oversized personality. That also extends to his watch.
For some visually impaired collectors, a watch is just an accessory, not something that’s genuinely useful to everyday life. Not so here. That’s because an EONE watch, Wonder’s timepiece of choice, isn’t read with your eyes like a standard, three-hand watch. Instead its unique ball-bearing layout is read like braille – fitting for an artist whose first number one hit at the tender age of 13 was Fingertips.
EONE was founded by MIT graduate Hyungsoo Kim and was conceived as a way to make elegant, accessible timepieces available to everyone. By collaborating with designers and the sight-impaired, he created one of the most innovative solutions to blind timekeeping around. The end result is the Bradley timepiece, which takes its name from ex-naval officer and Paralympic star Bradley Snyder, a man that wouldn’t let his disability hold him back – much like Wonder.
EONE Bradley Voyager Cobalt, £255
The concept behind it is deceptively simple. You read the raised hour makers by touch, with a triangle at 12 o’clock, elongated baton indexes at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock and slightly shorter versions in-between. Then there are two magnetised ball bearings, one orbiting the dial to denote minutes and another on a track around the edge of the case for hours. The fact that the layout looks incredible is just a welcome side-effect.
It’s a timepiece that’s seen a fair few variations on the theme, with different finishes and levels of detail throughout the collection. The purest expression though is the minimal, 40mm Mesh Silver version with its distinct less-is-more design. It’s also, quite possibly, what Wonder was spotted wearing as he gigged with Pharrell at the Grammys.
Don’t worry though, you don’t need to be an internationally-renowned, best-selling artist to afford one. This isn’t Pharrell’s Richard Mille we’re talking about. In fact, because of the magnets involved, EONE opts for a quartz Ronda movement, which drops the price down to just $285.
Minimal good looks, an affordable price tag and one of the most innovative solutions to sight-impaired timekeeping, there’s nothing quite like the EONE Bradley. That’s perfect, given there’s also nobody like Stevie Wonder.
More details at EONE.
