Snake Plissken’s Escape from New York countdown smartwatch could become a reality

Fans of the 1981 cult classic sci-fi film Escape from New York could soon be wearing one of that movie’s most iconic devices. A Kickstarter campaign has begun to raise money for a smartwatch version of the countdown clock that was famously worn by the movie’s lead character Snake Plissken, played to anti-hero perfection by Kurt Russell.

If you haven’t seen the movie . . . well, you need to see it; it’s great. If you have, you may remember that Plissken wears a digital countdown clock while on his mission to rescue the President of the United States. The President crash landed in Manhattan, which has been turned into a massive prison for everyone in the country. The countdown clock is to remind Plissken of the amount of time he has before two implanted explosives in his carotid arteries explode, unless he gets back with POTUS in time.

This does not appear to be a fly-by-night Kickstarter campaign. The Escape from New York countdown smartwatch, Lifelock One, is a fully licensed working replica of the prop. However, it can do more that just count down the time.  Among other things, it will have a companion app for iOS and Android that will allow it to push notifications for things like text messages, voice calls, and apps like Twitter and Facebook from your smartphone to the watch.

The Kickstarter campaign is seeking $200,000 to reach its minimal goal, and with 35 days to go it’s raised over $36,000. All of the Early Backer versions for $249 have been claimed, but you can still pledge $399 to get the “Snake” edition, with a brown yellow strap. Backing at the $499 level will get you the Gullfire edition with a black leather strap, along with matte black accents on the clock itself. Finally, the USPF (United States Police Force) version will be available for $799, with a silver accent and custom engraving options for the back.

Would you wear this unique bit of movie history as your next smartwatch?