Sounds niche? Well, it won't be for much longer: HYT and its sister brand Preciflex are receiving $23 million to fund not just more of these liquid-based watches (including at "different," likely more affordable prices), but to a "new type of fluidic jewelery." Preciflex has also been using it in the automotive and medical fields, too, so don't be surprised if you see the microfluidic tech grow there as well.

HYT isn't saying much more about what the devices will do, but it expects them to be on sale in 3 years and might team up with "strategic players" to get them off the ground. As it stands, the investors include people as powerful as the chairman of Nestle. While their investment may not sound like much on the surface, it could turn a rare luxury into something relatively commonplace.