I believe I've discovered a wristwatch that may be suitable for a fan of flip clocks. I'll let you decide.
But first I have to make the bold assertion that there will likely never be a flip clock on your wrist. Proper flip clocks rely on gravity to work - the reason flip clocks were not considered as an option during the Apollo Missions. So we're going to have to look at a cyclometer or drum-type clock as a possible candidate for an official flip clock fan watch. And that's ok. Most flip clock fans don't even roll their eyes when they see a rolling drum clock (aka a cyclometer) referred to as a flip clock on eBay. In fact, I've never run into a flip clock fan that didn't appreciate the cyclometers as well.
BACKGROUND
Production of marketable digital display watches began after Josef Pallweber invented a pocketwatch with numeric display. Pallweber was granted numerous patents between 1882-1887 related to these watch types, and licensed the concept to various watch manufactures (including IWC).
As an aside - Joseph Pallweber, as you all may know by now, was not only credited with the first digital display watch, but also the first digital readout clock and most importantly the first flip clock.
The type of watch invented by Pallweber came to be known as a "jump hour" watch due to the hour advancing rapidly. These watches had a short run in the late 1800s then essentially stopped being manufactured.
The first Jump Hour wristwatches appeared in the Art Deco period in 1920s and into the 1930s but that was just a short revival of this technology.
The biggest jump hour revival took place in the 1960s and 1970s with these digital display watches being marketed as a cheaper alternative to the new electronic digital watches. These watches contain standard mechanical movements but have rotating discs instead of moving hands.
THE CONTENDER
During this time period, around 1974, the Derby Swissonic “JAZ” came to be. Now this was more of a flip clock type watch with the drums instead of flat discs to display the time. The watch is definitely an eye catcher, especially to the fan of flip clocks, and could be said to be similar to a rolling wheel, rolling drum or cyclometer clock. However, there are issues. First, this watch is also a jump hour watch. In fact, it's a jump hour and jump minute watch. The numbers don't roll, they rapidly advance.
These Derby Swissonic watches are hard to find in working condition and are reportedly hard to keep working. In fact, an expert in the field stated on his website, "The Derby is a brilliant yet stupid invention, once you solve one issue another one is Just around the corner." This one pictured recently went for over $700 US dollars on a Japanese auction site. While I’d have to have one if I were a watch collector, it’s not quite the perfect watch for a flip clock fan.
Before I reveal a modern watch for the fan of flip clocks, it has to be mentioned that there are today multiple makers of very high end (read, "highly expensive") modern jump hour watches. They are as stunningly beautiful as they are expensive.
So here it is, the Future Funk Roller Drum Quartz wristwatch. These have been on the market, primarily in Japan, since about 2018. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon these originally, but it was while looking at the Derby's that they popped up on my radar. It seems that the Future Funk watches were the first - based on the literature on their site, and I'm presuming that these were originally Japanese made. But now, as you may have expected, Chinese made knock offs are available. I've actually ordered one (for about $30 dollars) to check the quality against this Future Funk watch.
I cannot find any US distributor of these watches so I had to buy this watch directly from the distributor in Japan. With tax and shipped it still only cost about $111 dollars.
The watch does make considerable noise when operating, but this just adds to its charm, I think.
The Future Funk Roller Drum Quartz wristwatch - the watch no flip clock fan needs - but just Has to look at, at least once.
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