In the beginning, people gauged and guessed the time by the position of the sun relative to the horizon and through the use of sundials. On bright days, both methods worked well, but on cloudy days, not so much. Portability was an issue as well since sundials were made of carved stone. Pleasing to the eye of course, but they were very hard to carry, and impossible for people living with low vision to determine the time. 

Over the years, clocks and watches grew smaller, and finally became the size where they could fit into a pocket or hang on a chain around the user’s neck. In the 20th century, watches became small enough to be worn on the wrist either on a band or incorporated into a bracelet. Watches with Braille numerals for the vision impaired came into use at the same time. The crystal could be opened so the wearer could read the watch face with his or her fingers.  

The next upgrade in adaptive technology came in the late 20th century with the development of speech synthesis, allowing watches, computers, and answering machines to engage in a verbal interface with users.  For people with low vision, or who have normal vision but live with conditions such as dyslexia or neurological or sensory processing issues that impact their ability to make sense of numerals, talking watches are a tremendous help. 

Rehabmart carries talking watches that are battery-operated and resemble everyday analog or digital watches at first glance, but they have a mode that enables them to tell the time verbally. Many of them are set daily by radio signals from the atomic clock in Colorado, even with changes from daylight to standard time,  and most of them feature classic design to complement any outfit. There are differences to accommodate each user’s preferences and specific needs. 

The Radio Controlled Talking Watch from Reizen comes with a choice of either a 3/4 inch-wide expansion or leather wristband, and can announce the date as well as the time with the touch of a button. The face is high-contrast white with black numerals to make them easier to see.

For a sportier style, the Atomic Digital Talking Watch comes with a choice of either a silver or red and black resin band. It tells time in a clear male voice and provides audio prompts when setting the date and the time if in an area where it cannot receive the atomic clock radio signal such as Alaska or Hawaii and some parts of Europe.  The watch face is 1.75 inches in diameter and has an EL backlight for LCD. It has a 90-day limited warranty.

Looking for a touch of bling? The ladies’ Tel-Time Talking Watch features an analog face framed with rhinestones, and comes in a choice of English or Spanish time announcements as well as a choice of three alarm sounds and a 90-day limited warranty. It is manually set and comes with batteries, too. The gentleman’s model has all the same features but without the rhinestones.

Durable numerals and hands make the Reizen Braille and Talking Watch sturdy enough to stand up to even the most nervous about keeping time. To read the Braille numerals, simply pop the crystal open by lifting at the opening located at the six position. The watch face is marked with two dots at three, six, and nine with three dots at the twelve and one dot at all other locations. It gives the time on the hour, or at the touch of a button, in a male voice. The watch comes in both men’s and ladies' models in a choice of goldtone or silver with matching expansion or black leather bands.  

The Tel-Time Soft Spoken Watch tells the user the time or date at the touch of a button in a quiet male voice. It comes in silver and has an attractive ridged design around the bezel on both the men’s and ladies’ models. It’s covered by a one year warranty.  

Silver? Gold? Male voice? Female voice? If you just can’t decide, consider the Reizen Two-Voice Talking Watch. It comes in attractive chrome and gold two-tone and announces time and date in a male or female voice. This watch is powered by two lithium batteries, and time and date are set manually.  

For a touch of elegance as well as ease of use by people with arthritis or manual dexterity issues, the Atomic Goldtone Talking Watch Pendant offers an easy to grasp large crown and push buttons for ease of use when setting the beeping alarm. A signal from the atomic clock in Colorado sets it daily and date and time are announced in a clear male voice.

Talking watches are appropriate for use anywhere a conventional watch would be useful, as well as anywhere a verbal time prompt would benefit a user, such as for someone with sensory processing disorders or dyslexia. With these innovative and stylish selections from Rehabmart, everyone is sure to find the perfect watch to meet their own unique requirements. 

Fran Jablway,
Senior Medical Consumer Writer
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO