Unhelpful

The “Think Different” clock (often referred to as the original Apple watch) was a custom promotional timepiece created by Apple in 1997 to celebrate the launch of their iconic “Think Different” advertising campaign. It served as a physical manifestation of Apple’s newfound philosophy under the return of interim CEO Steve Jobs. The Core Concept: Counter-Clockwise Time

True to its name, the watch required the wearer to literally think differently just to read the time.

Anticlockwise Dial: The numbers on the watch face were printed in reverse order (counting backward from 12 to 1, reading counter-clockwise).

Backward Movement: The mechanical hands moved backward around the dial to align with the reversed numbers.

The Visuals: The watch face featured a minimalist black background, clean white hands, and the classic multi-colored retro Apple logo right at the center. The Promotional Backstory

The watch was never sold as a mass-market commercial consumer product. Instead, Apple distributed it as a high-concept promotional item given exclusively to corporate employees, select shareholders, and prominent creative partners during the late 1990s turnaround period. It was packaged in a sleek, retro circular tin box that mirrored the high-concept design language of the time. The Ad Campaign Context

The timepiece was designed to encapsulate the exact ethos of the TBWA\Chiat\Day campaign engineered by art director Craig Tanimoto. The historical marketing shift was famous for: The Real Story Behind Apple’s ‘Think Different’ Campaign