The weapons race in the world of complicated mechanical watches inches towards a horological doomsday as DeWitt reveals its new Academia Mathematical that replaces a pair of hands with a visible hodge-podge of numbered dials—which somehow manage to continually align themselves to perfectly display the time throughout the day.


To be clear, the watch isn’t any more accurate than other mechanical timepieces on the market. It only has a 48-hour power reserve, and it can’t even display the date. But what it does offer is a 384-piece assembly that results in a truly unique way to display the time on your wrist.


Its numbered dials are partially obscured by a darkened sapphire panel featuring a pair of strategically-placed holes, allowing the wearer to see the current hour and minute. As time progresses the dials spin and the numbers jump into position as needed. Is the unique approach more a gimmick than a practical feature? Of course it is. But it’s a gimmick that’s unique to DeWitt, and that’s why watch collectors will probably drop tens of thousands of dollars on the piece when it’s available later this year. [DeWitt via Time and Watches]