From morse code to rubber ducks: The strangest watches you can buy today

Imagine spending ₹20,000 or even ₹2 lakh on a watch, only to realise you can't tell the time at a single glance.

Sounds ridiculous? That's exactly why these watches have become cult favourites among collectors, designers and people who like their accessories with a bit of personality. 

From floating rubber ducks and psychedelic artwork to Morse code displays, these timepieces prove that a watch doesn't always have to be practical. Sometimes, it's simply meant to make you smile.

If you've grown tired of the usual black dial and stainless steel bracelet, these independent brands deserve a spot on your radar.

Mr Jones Watches

For collectors who appreciate wearable art. Owning a Mr Jones watch is a bit like wearing a tiny art gallery on your wrist. Every dial is created in collaboration with artists and illustrators, and reading the time often takes a little patience. That's part of the experience.

A Perfectly Useless Afternoon

Price: Around ₹28,000

A swimmer lazily floats in a pool while a rubber duck drifts nearby. The swimmer points to the hours, while the duck marks the minutes. It's playful, beautifully illustrated and easily one of the brand's most recognisable watches.

Daydreamer

Price: Around ₹28,000

Designed with artist Murugiah, Daydreamer transforms the dial into a colourful psychedelic illustration. You can read the time, but chances are you'll spend longer admiring the artwork.

Watches That Don't Tell Time

For people who think checking the time is overrated. This is perhaps the only watch brand whose name tells you exactly what to expect. There are no hands, no hour markers and no attempt to help you keep track of your schedule. Instead, every watch is filled with tiny floating objects that transform your wrist into a miniature playground.

Rubber Duck Watch

Price: Around ₹6,500

This is the watch that put the brand on the map. Tiny rubber ducks float freely inside the dial every time you move your wrist.

It looks more like a toy than a watch, and that's entirely the point. If you're looking for something guaranteed to spark conversations, this is it.

Tokyoflash Japan

For anyone who enjoys solving puzzles. Tokyoflash has spent years proving that reading the time doesn't have to be easy.

Its watches often look like props from a science fiction film, with LED displays, coded interfaces and futuristic designs.

Keisan LED Watch

Price: Around ₹24,000

The Keisan isn't a watch you can understand in a second. Four illuminated columns appear at the press of a button, and you have to add the numbers in each column to calculate the hours and minutes.

Morse 2 LCD Watch

Price: Around ₹17,000

Ever wanted to learn Morse code? This watch gives you a reason. Alongside the digital time display, the centre of the screen translates the time into dots and dashes. It can even flash or beep the time in Morse code, making every glance at your wrist feel a little more interactive.

Humism

For people who love geometry. Humism replaces traditional watch hands with moving geometric patterns inspired by kinetic art. Every time you look at the dial, it feels slightly different.

Eidos

Price: Around ₹37,500

If optical illusions fascinate you, the Eidos deserves a closer look. Two rotating black discs create constantly changing geometric patterns while revealing the hours and minutes. Inspired by kinetic art, it's the kind of watch that rewards a second glance because the dial never seems to look exactly the same twice.

Xeric

For anyone who wants strangers to ask about their watch. Independent American brand Xeric has earned a loyal following for its unconventional displays and futuristic styling. Many of its watches also feature generous Super-LumiNova, so the dials put on an impressive glow once the lights go out

Vendetta II

Price: Around ₹1,04,042

Forget traditional hands. The Vendetta II uses rotating satellite discs to display the time. It may look intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, reading the time becomes surprisingly intuitive.

NASA Artemis Trappist-1

Price: Around ₹30,000 to ₹37,000

Created under licence with NASA, this watch celebrates space exploration with a beautifully detailed cosmic dial. It's the sort of watch that appeals as much to astronomy lovers as it does to collectors.

Anicorn

Where watches meet art and storytelling. Anicorn isn't your typical watch brand. Known for collaborating with artists, architects and cultural icons, it creates timepieces that blur the line between functional accessories and collectible design pieces.

Oliver Jeffers x Anicorn – TIME AND SPACE Watch

Price: Around ₹98,000

Created with bestselling author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers, this limited-edition watch feels more like wearable art than a traditional timepiece. The dial features four hand-painted symbols, including a book, a matchstick, a car and a hot air balloon, each representing human imagination and invention.

The Trio of Time (TTT)

For people who love playful design and pop culture. Some watches take themselves very seriously. TTT does the exact opposite. Short for The Trio of Time, the experimental design label creates watches inspired by everyday objects, internet culture and nostalgic moments.

The Spinning Beach Ball

Price: Around ₹22,000

If you've ever used a Mac, you'll recognise the inspiration immediately. Designed by TTT, the watch recreates Apple's iconic spinning rainbow loading cursor. The colourful bearing spins freely every time you move your wrist, bringing the familiar animation to life.

Beneath the playful design sits a reliable Japanese Miyota quartz movement, proving that even a watch inspired by a loading icon can still keep perfect time.

Whichever one catches your eye, one thing is certain. You'll probably spend more time talking about it than checking the time.

-Compiled by Salma