Apple (AAPL) is rumored to be unveiling its long-anticipated watch today, Sept. 9. But it’s interesting to note that the company considered a similar concept more than 30 years ago. Here it is, in all its charmingly retro glory:
The wristband phone and headset were developed in 1983 by Hartmut Esslinger, at the Germany design studio Frog, as one in a series of prototypes dubbed Snow White, the design language that informed future Apple product roll-outs for decades. Esslinger details his intense collaboration with Steve Jobs in his photo-lush Keep It Simple: The Early Design Years of Apple.
The concept may look ridiculous now, but if you look past its rudimentary function (what, no screen?!?), the beginnings of Apple’s core design mantra—simplicity, clean lines, consistent branding—are clear.
