Linde Werdelin

Traumatic events can inspire cathartic realizations -- like when you're skiing and distracted by your inscrutable analog watch, and so you fall off a cliff and snap your spine, and then you're like "Aha! Snap-on digital plates!". Seriously. That happened, and became Linde Werdelin, just now in NYC.A sporty, uber lux line of wristwatches boasting crazy informative digital readout plates that fit over the analog clock face, LWs were conceived by one of the founders, who hurtled off an Alpine cliff after checking his watch while skiing "off-piste" (Brit for "off-trail", not Brit for drunk). Starting with the hefty stainless steel analog base, LW offers five chunky water resistant styles, each rocking an angular cut and diamond-cut hands, with one model (the Two-Timer) offering a double time zone readout; there's also the Spido-Lite, avail for pre-order, which abandons the traditional analog face for an ornate latticework evocative of a very fancy Tie Fighter window. As for the separate anodized metal digital plates, LW peddles two: a sea instrument, which auto tracks dive info (depth, maximum depth and dive time, plus theoretical oxygen and nitrogen levels in the body), and the land instrument, which tracks ambient temps to warn of frostbite probability (temps below 10 celsius), and tracks slope inclination to warn of possible avalanches -- likely on off-trail snow-covered slopes between 30 and 45 degrees, or if you're a Warner Bros cartoon character. Because the watches are only peddled in select locations, LW will ship you any watch for a five day trial, provided you place a refundable deposit of ~$1300 on your credit card -- a traumatic experience that'll lead you to the realization you can check the time on your cell phone.