I have to admit that I am most amused by this story about Apple and the design of the new clock in iOS6. My amusement is only increased by this lovely snippet of information:
Apple is no stranger to defending the look and feel of its own designs, including clocks. In 2009, Apple sent a letter of rejection to popular app developer Tapbots -- the makers of Tweetbot and other iOS apps -- saying the clock icon the company used in its pocket converter application looked too much like the icon used in Apple's own telephone app. Tapbots changed its design as a result.
I might almost be tempted to snigger in fact. At that link you can also see the two clock faces side by side. They most certainly do look quite similar. Almost as if one has been "influenced" by the other. There are also differences. The hands on the Swiss clock face are slightly tapered while, to the eye at least, the Apple ones seem to be straight bars.
Another difference is in their actual operation. In the original design for the Swiss Railway system the clocks would have a sweeping (NOT ticking, but sweeping) second hand movement. Until that second hand reached 0.59, at which point it would stop and then tick over to 0.00 again. This blip or tick was caused by the system the railways used to keep all of the clocks on standard time. A radio pulse (or possibly telegraphic) sent to each clock at that 0.59/0.00 point, telling them that the new minute had now arrived. Thus all station clocks worked with, umm, Swiss precision.
It seems that the Apple clock in iOS6 does not do this: thus another clear difference between the designs.
But it is going to be interesting seeing how this all plays out. For Apple is, famously, the company that claims that smartphones which are rectangular with rounded corners are violating one of its patents. Even that wedge shaped laptops are. Compared to that "our watch hands are straight not tapered, our second hand doesn't tick at 0.59" seems a little weak really.
And one more little Swiss train story. Traditionally, if the train doesn't leave on time then it is your watch that is wrong, not the train.
