Traveller Watches

[kilemall]

Been thinking through what an average Traveller watch should be like in the 50-something century.

Of course like we have now, personal comm devices tied to atomic clock-driven networked systems and ubiquitous clocks stuck on every device for pennies would seem to make them obsolete.
But our intrepid explorers/military/freebooters aren't going to be on TL8+ safe zones most of the time- at least if they are doing travelling properly.

So what should our not-safe hightech watches have?

I would start with an integral atomic clock on the wrist, based on the advances from this company's chipset atomic clock or CSAC tech-
https://www.microsemi.com/product-directory/embedded-clocks-frequency-references/5207-space-csac
Absolute accuracy is required for navigation, possibly manual burns, and scientific instrumentation.
Right now it's too bulky for practical wrist use, although one $6000 each set of 10 have been made. But of course the march of technology can likely be counted to miniaturize CSAC, that is what I am assuming.
I would then pair it with an RTG battery, probably stick with Pu-238 pacemaker 'battery' tech. Solar could be a cheap alternative.

What else?

Modern watches often have integrated altimeter/barometer/temperature sensors. Of course they would have to be calibrated to conditions on whatever planet for the atmospherics.
Specialized watches for diving probably reading out pressure set to that planet's oceans as part of the dive computer component.


Which gets us into the 'local time' issue- the watch is going to have a smart computer wrapped around the CSAC core, so setting the watch to planet/system time would be done as part of normal travel.
Every polity would have an atomic clock-like satellite broadcasting the local atomic clock time at most systems, probably in a standardized format for trade friendly ones. For planetary surveys in the wild, setting up a time system would be probably done by the third orbit according to Scout Standards.


Something like GPS/maps, comms, health monitoring and other such features could be done by spacesuits, clothing or other carried devices so may not be an important thing to have other then a backup, and a good deal of that will depend on interstellar standards.
Emergency beacon/call/locator set to the adventuring party's known frequencies/ciphers would be handy.


I'm thinking though that a big one would be inertial tracker, recording all movement so there is a record and a trail back, and measurement of G accels particularly for pilots and drivers.

Anything I missed?

 

[Krikkitone]

Measuring inertial movements would not work if you were on a craft with inertial dampers

 

[Grav_Moped]

Barometer/variometer with alerts for rapidly decreasing atmospheric pressure (hull leak), or dangerously low pressure (get back in the ship NOW!).

Integral pulse oximeter to alert for low blood oxygen levels (much easier to implement than testing the air directly).

Chemical warfare agent detection (also useful for detecting some atmospheric contaminants).

Magnetic compass if it's not mentioned already.

 

[whartung]

So what should our not-safe hightech watches have?

I would start with an integral atomic clock on the wrist, based on the advances from this company's chipset atomic clock or CSAC tech-
https://www.microsemi.com/product-directory/embedded-clocks-frequency-references/5207-space-csac
Absolute accuracy is required for navigation, possibly manual burns, and scientific instrumentation.

Nah. Nobodys hand is on the throttle, of their finger on the button. The ships computer handles all of those problems. Absolute accuracy at that level is completely unnecessary. Better to have one that drifts 15m either way in order to promote a more casual, relaxed "Hawaii time" type of society where 15m either way is just more time to relax.

I would then pair it with an RTG battery, probably stick with Pu-238 pacemaker 'battery' tech. Solar could be a cheap alternative.

Batteries mean heat and weight, watches need neither. Less battery is better. Something like we have today on a modern smart watch, but could last a week for the same weight would be great with a faster wireless charging system.

Modern watches often have integrated altimeter/barometer/temperature sensors. Of course they would have to be calibrated to conditions on whatever planet for the atmospherics.
Specialized watches for diving probably reading out pressure set to that planet's oceans as part of the dive computer component.

Mostly unnecessary.

Which gets us into the 'local time' issue- the watch is going to have a smart computer wrapped around the CSAC core, so setting the watch to planet/system time would be done as part of normal travel.
Every polity would have an atomic clock-like satellite broadcasting the local atomic clock time at most systems, probably in a standardized format for trade friendly ones. For planetary surveys in the wild, setting up a time system would be probably done by the third orbit according to Scout Standards.

The watch adopts the local time based on the broadcast network. In a remote system, it'll just keep the local time of the ship (as broadcast on the ship).

Modern smartphones adapt their time to the local timezone. These watches would too.

Something like GPS/maps, comms, health monitoring and other such features could be done by spacesuits, clothing or other carried devices so may not be an important thing to have other then a backup, and a good deal of that will depend on interstellar standards.
Emergency beacon/call/locator set to the adventuring party's known frequencies/ciphers would be handy.

The watch would take up the "medi-alert" role, along with the monitoring of any current conditions respective to the wearer. This is ideally reduced in to the watch for specifically so that the user would not have to where special close or carry extra equipment. Navigation is limited by the display size, but thankfully there's a in built projector for larger media that can be utilized against an appropriate surface. Of course, and TL12 and above, the watch can project an opaque surface in mid-air using now miniaturized, ubiquitous holographic technology.

Anything I missed?

Yes. You focused on the watch as a tool.

Where as most watches today, including smartwatches, are jewelry. The reason someone is wearing a $5000 Rolex instead of a $20 Casio is not because it keeps better time.

 

[kilemall]

Barometer/variometer with alerts for rapidly decreasing atmospheric pressure (hull leak), or dangerously low pressure (get back in the ship NOW!).

Integral pulse oximeter to alert for low blood oxygen levels (much easier to implement than testing the air directly).

Chemical warfare agent detection (also useful for detecting some atmospheric contaminants).

Magnetic compass if it's not mentioned already.

These are good, the only one I disagree with is the magnetic compass. Very much an individual planet thing as to where it's pole is and how useful it will be as a navigating point, and many planets of course won't have one at all.


Magnetic detection may be a thing to have onboard, but would probably have to be configurable for different conditions and maybe less navigation and more 'when will the magnetic storms triggered by the variable star pulses come along and destroy our camp' sort of things.

 

[kilemall]

Nah. Nobodys hand is on the throttle, of their finger on the button. The ships computer handles all of those problems. Absolute accuracy at that level is completely unnecessary. Better to have one that drifts 15m either way in order to promote a more casual, relaxed "Hawaii time" type of society where 15m either way is just more time to relax.

I disagree, both engineering and dramatically. The watch is there in part for 'things going wrong'. I'd want the pilot slide rule bezel updated just so it can be done, particularly if the computer is destroyed or in a CT 'unreliable rolling to operate' state. SpecOps, ortillery calls, plenty of situations where having it onhand rough and ready counts.

Batteries mean heat and weight, watches need neither. Less battery is better. Something like we have today on a modern smart watch, but could last a week for the same weight would be great with a faster wireless charging system.

Watches have to have SOME sort of power to them, either mechanical or electric. This is also for situations where there IS no external power or solar to charge them. The Pu-238 RTG would be a miniaturized version of the pacemaker ones. Alternatively we could postulate another battery source, but we don't want something that only lasts a week without charging.

Mostly unnecessary.

In general I agree, it would be a choice between having that incorporated in other equipment or suits rather then the watch. I am trying to boil it down to what would be considered essential and standard for Travellers. So mentioning fluff just as a way to spark thoughts.



Ship time is a good standard for out of civilization areas.

The watch adopts the local time based on the broadcast network. In a remote system, it'll just keep the local time of the ship (as broadcast on the ship).


Modern smartphones adapt their time to the local timezone. These watches would too.

I would assume the same polity would have the same standards sectorwide at least, but Travellers can't assume the same standards are adopted everywhere outside of their home government. A reasonably capable smartwatch probably will be mass-produced with all the standards within 100 parsecs of the industrial world origin, less range for not IND source planets.

The watch would take up the "medi-alert" role, along with the monitoring of any current conditions respective to the wearer. This is ideally reduced in to the watch for specifically so that the user would not have to where special close or carry extra equipment. Navigation is limited by the display size, but thankfully there's a in built projector for larger media that can be utilized against an appropriate surface. Of course, and TL12 and above, the watch can project an opaque surface in mid-air using now miniaturized, ubiquitous holographic technology.

A reasonable take and role, just keep in mind that's going to take power and you don't want that running out just because you are stuck in the ice caves of Alpha Taurus IV for a month.

Yes. You focused on the watch as a tool.

Where as most watches today, including smartwatches, are jewelry. The reason someone is wearing a $5000 Rolex instead of a $20 Casio is not because it keeps better time.

Well, one could argue the Rolex IS a tool, it just has nothing to do with functionality.


I know many watch nut guys, and one of my friends swears that in his legal/sales world having watch superiority actually does reinforce pecking orders amongst people who care about such things.



So maybe your watch has to cost Cr3^SOC to maintain your SOC level. That's a valid thing in certain circles, but not where I approach them either RL or as a game thing.


I'm looking for the 57th century equivalent of the Omega watches worn by our astronauts and what would be that standard amongst spacefarers and planetary Travellers.

 

[chipla]

Watches have to have SOME sort of power to them, either mechanical or electric. This is also for situations where there IS no external power or solar to charge them. The Pu-238 RTG would be a miniaturized version of the pacemaker ones. Alternatively we could postulate another battery source, but we don't want something that only lasts a week without charging.

I have a watch that is charged by movement, my everyday movement is enough to keep it charged all day and overnight when I take it off to sleep. The watch doesn’t have any fancy digital display and can only tell the time (and date) but it’s also not exactly cutting edge tech (I’ve had it for 15 years).

In the Far Future it’s not inconceivable that there have been advances in the conversion of kinetic energy to electricity. I’d expect most watches used by Travellers to be able to charge off the Traveller’s movement unless they’re doing really fancy Bondesque stuff.

 

[Condottiere]

There is actually a 21st century phenomenon of ditching digital technology in favour of outdated analogue technology. Similarly to vinyl records and instant cameras, mechanical watches are back in fashion even though the first quartz watch (1969 Seiko Astron) and the first radio-controlled watch (1991 Junghans Mega) left them significantly outdated.

Mechanical watches came back in fashion in the late 1980’s, which is incidentally when watchmakers started fitting a glass on the back to display the mechanical movement.

A mechanical movement showcases both the way that it works, and the level of craftsmanship that it results from.

Heads up display projected on mark one eyeball.

 

[Grav_Moped]

I have a watch that is charged by movement, my everyday movement is enough to keep it charged all day and overnight when I take it off to sleep. The watch doesn’t have any fancy digital display and can only tell the time (and date) but it’s also not exactly cutting edge tech (I’ve had it for 15 years).

In the Far Future it’s not inconceivable that there have been advances in the conversion of kinetic energy to electricity. I’d expect most watches used by Travellers to be able to charge off the Traveller’s movement unless they’re doing really fancy Bondesque stuff.

I've got one of those too (mechanically self-charging). It was a sentimental replacement for one I lost years before that was purely mechanical (self-winding). I was amused to discover that there are storage boxes to recharge/rewind them by rocking the watches back and forth, for collectors who have so many they can't wear individual watches frequently enough to keep them charged/wound up.

On-topic: This could be an issue for Travellers taking Low Passage...

 

[MThompson016]

GT: Far Trader has the survival watch, on page 69.
-Small computer with a 1 gig database of survival lore
-Chronometer
-Rad counter
-Magnetic Compass
-Homing Beacon
-Inertial compass

It's got a tiny, high res screen, and designed to run for a year on a GURPS A Cell. Weight 1/4 lb (113g), Cr300. Those A cells are small, and weigh 1/25th of an ounce (113 mg)

 

[robject]

Our watches do things that concern us daily. Health monitoring, schedule keeping.

Survival watches in Traveller could have short-range sensors in them for communications, radiation, atmosphere quality, life detection, neural activity -- although some of those might require higher tech.

Take the smallest starship sensors and shrink them further using ThingMaker, and you can get a picture of what fits in a watch at which TLs.

Also consider active defenses, such as an EM pulse emitter, or a shock emitter.

 

[agorski]

At higher TL, it won't be something strapped to your wrist. Could be displayed in your eyeball, as noted above, or implanted in your wrist with the display broadcasting through your skin or talking to you.

I'm retired, so I actually don't need a watch and don't want the hassle of wearing and recharging a smart watch (until it can do blood sugar monitoring), so I just pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time.

So that's another watch function; personal health monitoring.

 

[robject]

At higher TL, it won't be something strapped to your wrist. Could be displayed in your eyeball, as noted above, or implanted in your wrist with the display broadcasting through your skin or talking to you.

I saw an earlier post that included a contact-lens-like thingy like that.

I suspect a "dermal patch" is safer.

"Dude, don't forget to take a comm."

"OK" (rolls up sleeve, rips open a flat band-aid-like package, slaps a comm onto his arm.) "Hey, does this look like a rash to you??"

 

[kilemall]

Ok, the above gets into form factor, which is an area of interest. What would make sense to have on a wrist watch that you wouldn't have tied into your wetware/space suit/other equipment?


Consider the relatively simple matter of computers in our starport E/TL8 backwoods planet.

We've gone from mainframes to minicomputers/workstations to PCs to laptops to tablets to smartphones.

We still have larger servers for big work, but the personal utilization size is dropping precipitously all the time, partially because the back end makes our devices more smart terminals and advances in telecom has made that possible.

But they are also getting more powerful all the time, and it would be reasonable to extrapolate that a watch or a similar more jewelry/accessory form factor will replace the smartphone.

So we should probably expect the Traveller watch to be a powerful personal computer, with things like survival and equipment manuals and maps all on board, and a lot of specialized sync up to local time standards available.




Re: wetware, I'm thinking there are going to be a LOT of people that are not going to 'enhance', and still others that will want their personal enhancements 'offline' from potential hacking. Planetary scouts would not want their ability to work or get such simple information as the time interfered with just because of a local magnetic storm. Ditto military in a heavy EMP/rad/temperature use enviornment.

A watch would allow for protected casing to house equipment in the rough conditions we are theorizing, even if it's as a backup to suit/environmental or cybergear.


The medical monitor function does strike me as another very valid item. An implant or slap patch might be another form factor to go on, powered by skin electricity. But that's another one where I would expect that to be embedded in most environment/space suits. What the watch would do is be a readily accessible manual button/display tool for that information for medics, saving precious seconds on medical scanning and action.

Which points out another aspect to the watch form factor- simple low failure accessibility and display for the wearer and immediate party.



Seems to me there would be two primary divisions for Traveller watches (in the same way there are pilot watches, dive watches, health watches etc.)-

• Space watches
• Planetary watches

Maybe marines wear one type of each Alien movie style on the same band?

 

[Condottiere]

The wrist is a very convenient place to position a screen, or even an interface; the innards can be anywhere else within range of cables or radio waves.

Speaking of convenience, most people will remember to strap something on their wrist, so if it contains the interface and the innards, it's an all in one solution.

 

[kilemall]

The wrist is a very convenient place to position a screen, or even an interface; the innards can be anywhere else within range of cables or radio waves.

Speaking of convenience, most people will remember to strap something on their wrist, so if it contains the interface and the innards, it's an all in one solution.

What I'm getting at with the form factor exposition.


The word computer didn't used to mean a machine, it was a job title, the people who worked the mechanical calculators were computers.


Perhaps the word watch will mean more like 'wrist-mounted device for a myriad of handy functions I want to WATCH' and the explicitly timekeeping/display function we mean now withers away.

 

[chipla]

Perhaps the word watch will mean more like 'wrist-mounted device for a myriad of handy functions I want to WATCH' and the explicitly timekeeping/display function we mean now withers away.

That's an interesting idea. Modern Bluetooth means that my phone can talk to my car's computer to play music or access the GPS (or in theory track the car but I'm too stupid to get that to work) and if I had a smartwatch I'm sure it could do the same. In a spaceship having a 'watch' or even a tablet or 'phone' that allowed you to monitor various data sets without necessarily being at a terminal or duty station seems like a good idea.

Being able to check the running status of the powerplant on your wrist, or (given that you can't necessarily look outside and see things moving past) seeing course changes or changes in acceleration/deceleration/orbital path/etc seems like a fairly useful tool.

 

[whartung]

That's an interesting idea. Modern Bluetooth means that my phone can talk to my car's computer to play music or access the GPS (or in theory track the car but I'm too stupid to get that to work) and if I had a smartwatch I'm sure it could do the same.

Modern smart watches tether to a parent phone and off load functions to it.

Watch -> Phone -> Car.

 

[chipla]

Modern smart watches tether to a parent phone and off load functions to it.

Watch -> Phone -> Car.

Shows you how little I know about them


Actually only real issue I could see with using a ‘smart watch’ to track things on a ship is the screen size. I guess you could pair the watch with contacts or glasses to have an AR overlay. At that point though you might as well have the contacts or glasses network with the ship directly rather than use the watch as an intermediary.

 

[GypsyComet]

At some point one path of this development turns into the wrist mounted "Hand Computer" depicted by DGP, among others. The list of features even short of that will likely always end with "and it even tells time."

This is the sort of thing that will have a lot of variation. Professional but un-contracted spacers like to travel light, so the fewer things they need to charge, strap on during an emergency, or have tossed out the airlock after them, the better.

Two excellent examples I'm thinking of in SF are the Survival Brolly and Pathfinder Boots, from the Adventures of Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh, by Brian Daley.

Another family of examples is, of course, all the gadgetry used in Bond movies.