It is hard to find digital watches with an elegant design. The YES Watch denies this habit starting from the box. A pregious glossy wood case with a nice lock and some metal and fabric details. The inside is divided in three sections: in the middle there is the clock, at the sides there are two covered bays containing the accessories.

The instruction manual is located in a pocket marked by the logo. The watch is protected by a transparent film to preserve it from dust and damp. Inside the two lateral bays we find the key, a complete set of watchmaking tools, a set of two straps made of leather and rubber for whom wants to personalize the watch.

The appearance of the watch is impressive. The titanium body and the mixed slick/satin finishes, bring an undoubted elegance and a pleasant approach with any clothing. The rotating bezel is engraved with the 24 hours and subdivided in two sections (white/black) to signal the equinox; at hour 12 and hour 24 are colletted two crystals, symbols of sun and moon. The glass in sapphire crystal of excellent trasparence is mounted with precision; the LCD dial is well readable in any position and owns a back fluorescent green lighting; the analog hand of original shape has the sun-moon symbol in the center and a green phosphorus for night vision. The four buttons and the regulation crown offer a pleasant feedback and a rounded shape that protects the skin from abrasions; on one side an elegant "yes" logo is engraved. The bottom side is mirror polished with the serigraphies of the watch model and the indication of the maximum watertightness pressure. Every watch is numbered individually and warranted for two years.
 

The YES Watch is a wonderful synergy between digital world and analogic world. The 24 hour hand, beats the astronomical time in a way analogous to the rotation of the Earth (this is the origin of "analog" term). The time can be read on the internal ring (divided in 12 a.m. hours and 12 p.m. hours), or we can use the rotating bezel that is divided in 24 hours. The bezel can be aligned on a different time zone to have the time of two locations. The LCD dial shows the time in digital form using both 12 or 24 hour systems. Two digital time zones are available named as HOME and AWAY. On the outside ring of the LCD dial, we see the lunar time: the beginning of the clear area shows the moon rise, the end of the clear area shows the moon set. The internal ring of the LCD dial is divided in slices: the beginning of the clear area shows the sun rise, the end of the clear area shows the sun set. The lunar circle placed down, shows the moon phases: observing it, we have a visual signal of portions of lighted and shaded moon.

To set up the analog time we use the C crown that drive the 24 hour hand. The digital time and all the computer functions are set up with the buttons M, L, S, B, by following the alphanumeric informations on the display. The digital clock can be turned off by pressing button B twice, to see only the rhythm of sun and moon.

The YES Watch is powered by two different lithium batteries, CR2032 for the digital part and V346 for the analogic quartz movement. The battery duration is of about 2 years for electronics and display, about 5 years for analogic mechanics. The double battery offers an increased security to have the watch always working.
IMPORTANT: For the replacement of the batteries is necessary to address at a specialized laboratory, qualified for the waterproof watches.

DATE AND FOREIGN TIME
Pressing the button S once the date is shown (day, month, day of the week). Pressing the button S twice the diaplay switches from local time to foreign time. Informations on the sun and the moon time are changed realtime.

SEQUENCE OF INFORMATIONS
Starting from the current time, we can have numerous informations on the LCD dial. After pressing the button S for 3 second, starts the visualization in sequence of the following data: Location (ROME, LONDON, etc.) - Year (YR) - Day of year (DOY) - Week of year (WK) - Geographic coordinates (Lat & Lon) - Sun Rise (SR) - Solar Noon (SN) - Sun Set (SS) - Percentage of moon light - Moon Rise (MR) - Moon Set (MS) - New Moon (NM) - Full Moon (FM).

PAST AND FUTURE CALCULATOR
Pressing 7 times the button M, selects the function SM-CALC, to know the data of sun and moon concerning place and date set up by the user. This visualization does not affect the normal time, but is very useful for keens on astronomy or astrology.

PET (Phase Elapsed Time)
A system used by the NASA to launch the spaceships, that allows to plan an expiry during the years. It activates pressing 8 times the button M and setting up year, date, minutes and seconds, up to 9999 days! The number of days to the event, the number of missing hours as regards time of the event for every day, is shown. Is also possible to set up expiries in the past, to have informations about past events. An arrow placed close to the indications informs us if we are counting in the future or the past.

AVAILABLE ACOUSTIC ALARMS
Two typologies of sound alarms can be set. The traditional hour alarm and the solar alarm. Alarms are activated by the button S. When the symbol of the sun is shown on the dial, an alarm is issued half time before and at the time of sun rise and sun set.

STOPWATCH AND TIMER
Two functions always useful, to follow the flow of the time. The stopwatch has also LAP time function, the timer is programmed in minutes and seconds with a final alarm.

SOLSTICE, EQUINOX AND CROSS QUARTER DAY
During the summer and winter solstice and during the two equinoxes of spring and autumn, the watch display turns into solar display. Every 30 minutes is shown the flashing name of the event. Cross quarter days are the days halfway in between equinoxes and solstices. In the past they had a big relevance for the agriculture and the spiritual life of many populations, as for istance the Celts. Still today these periods are observed to celebrate rituals or holidays related to ancient traditions. During the Cross Quarters, the display of the watch turns into solar display. Every 30 minutes is shown and the flashing name of the event (IMBOLC, BELTAINE, LLAMAS, SAMHAIN).

PROGRAMMABLE DST
The Daylight Saving Time is fruit of political conventions of countries. In the world there are different DST systems, with different date and times periods; some countries do not have any DST. To have the maximum control on this parameter, the YES watch allows to hand modify the periods of DST, for a specific location. Generally it is not necessary, because the 583 memorized towns have well known and reliable data.
To simplify the time set for locations wordwide, a complete list with a city listing and time parameters (included geographic coordinates) is provided in the instructions manual. There is also a time zone map at the end of the manual. A big version of this map can be downloaded from the company web site, at this link:
http://www.yeswatch.com/images/time_zone_map_big.jpg

Thanks to the information about the period of solar lighting is possible to find the South and know our position. We have to align the "sun stone" on the rotating bezel to half of the sun light zone on the display. Now point the analog hand towards the sun, keeping the watch parallel at the soil. The line that joins the two sun and moon stones, repreent our needle of the virtual compass: the South is shown by the sun stone, the North is shown by the moon stone.
This method works in the days of clear sky, when the sun is well visible, but we can use it also with the clouds: place a nail perpendicular to the center of the dial and look at the projected shade; the analog hand must be oriented in specular direction as regards shade.

With the same working philosophy we can know the tide periods. Align the "moon stone" to half of the moon light zone. The periods of high tide take place when the analog hand overlaps with the sun and moon stones, the ebb tide take place in the transition day/night zones of the bezel. The measure of the tides depends very much on the geography of the territory, therefore informations are only indicative and they can drift greatly from the reality.

YES watches are produced by the american company Wild Seed Inc. located in California. The innovative style and the working principle are fruit of the experience of Bjorn Kartomten, CEO of the Wild Seed, designer and author of the clock. The YES is a product that simplifies the life of travelling people and at the same time approaches the user to the universal rhythms of the sun and the moon. So a practical but also spiritual philosophy, in the certainty that the environment which we live in, affects the actions and the state of mind of each of us in a decisive way.

The model on test, the ZULU, is part of a series of watches, sharing the same working principle and offer style changes on the bracelet and the structure of the watch. The rotating bezel is also available in three versions with original informations on hours, sun and moon. Among the numerous models, the TATI is conceived for the woman, with a tapered line and the bracelet in clear leather containing the body of the watch. On the top and bottom side of the dial, the embossed symbols of the sun and the moon, complete an object with a refined and modern design.

The potential users of the YES watch are numerous. Who often travels can rely on the custom-made time zones and set up the geographic coordinates of the destination place; astronomers own a wrist computer to know in advance nights without moon and observe the stars; keens on photograph can plan the dawns and the sunsets to have striking photographies; fishermen have a tool to follow the lunar phases that have big effect on the sea creatures; the security and military forces can exploit the lunar light or the complete darkness for their operations; who travels by plane can choose the right moment for the flight on sight; the lovers of esoterism and ancient religions have a powerful tool to look at the behaviour of the two celestial bodies sun and moon. A precision tool made to last in the time, to collect, to give a present, to live nearer the breath of the cosmos.

In the following some useful links:

YES Homepage:
http://www.yeswatch.com/

The complete products list:
http://www.yeswatch.com/wrist-watch/timekeeper/timekeepers.html

International Resellers:
http://www.yeswatch.com/wrist-watch/timekeeper/international.html

FAQ & Instruction manual:
http://www.yeswatch.com/wrist-watch/timekeeper/faq.html

Contacts and E-mail:
http://www.yeswatch.com/wrist-watch/timekeeper/contactus.html