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Mechanical Apple Watch from real e-waste Apple Watch
- randomcarbloke 3y agoH. Moser et Cie do a decent mechanical "Apple Watch"
- hengheng 3y agoI think the correct candidate for a pocket watch would be an old school iPod.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoOh damn, people are actually reading to the end of the write-up? My first thought was actually an iPod touch because that's what I grew up with. I think an iPod is definitely the right call
- smitty1e 3y agoWant! #TakeMyMoneyGifGoesHere
- Gigachad 3y agoEpic meme sir. Updoots.
- dylan604 3y ago"One of them even worked in the end, it just took a couple hours to update!" To the annoyance of every watch owner out there.
- WWLink 3y agoThat's really cool :D
- interroboink 3y agoObligatory link to this wonderful interactive site explaining the inner workings of mechanical watches: https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/ https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/
- danparsonson 3y agoThat is superb, thank you!
- the__alchemist 3y agoIt makes me wonder why mechanical over something with a XO, given it wouldn't have the status-symbol associated with mech watches. (Or maybe it would?)
- throwanem 3y agoOn the other hand, if you're gonna do it at all, why not go whole hog?
- timw4mail 3y agoBut mechanical watches are so much more fun to...watch
- stevekemp 3y agoThey really are. I wear a watch daily, and have been collecting them for some years. Originally I had a bunch of themed-watches "This is the watch for swimming", "this is the watch for going to sauna with", "this is the watch for posh events", "this is the watch for photography", etc. Nowadays I have too many, so it's more a case of choosing which watch I feel like wearing in the morning. Sometimes I swap every day, sometimes I wear the same one for 3-4 days, but no longer than that really. My collection includes a lot of vintage (read "bought second-hand for peanuts") Soviet watches, high end Swiss pieces, and a single Casio F-91-W-1 for when I'm feeling like a kid from the 80s.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoIt wouldn't have been anywhere near as funny to me or enjoyable for me to wear. Literally the only reasons. Mechanical movements are strictly worse
- shazar 3y agoUnrelated to the article, but hijacking the history and making it impossible to navigate back is the new cancer in the internet I guess.
- bombcar 3y agoIt’s been common for ages and stupidly built single sign on sites have made it even worse.
- tkgally 3y agoHere’s the direct link to the video: https://youtu.be/B2h5WwrkJFg https://youtu.be/B2h5WwrkJFg I enjoyed it immensely.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoI thought people would find it really boring, hence the 800% speed up on most clips. Very glad to hear at least some people enjoyed it
- AdamTReineke 3y agoCongrats, very well done! What was the laser doing the cutting and engraving? I loved the video format, reminded me of the Primitive Technology channel where he just gets out of the way and lets the work itself (plus closed captions) do all the talking.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoJust a no name, Chinese, 20W fiber laser. Takes a minute to get through but it works. Would have liked to do a little more talking but the video already took way too bloody long and I didnt know if anyone would watch it
- dmurko 3y agoYou should narrate the video, it would make it easier to follow for people who've no idea what you're doing (like me).
- the_arun 3y agoThis is really cool. Great gift for grand parents who struggle to use Smart watch.
- dhosek 3y agoHey, my 81-year-old mother actually absolutely loves her Apple Watch (although I had to show her the setting so she could have the crown on the opposite side because she wears it on her right wrist).
- batch12 3y agoIs it tacky that I want to do this with the guts of a Casio F91W or the CA-53W? Perhaps. https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/product.CA-53W-1/ https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/product.CA-53W-1/
- jansan 3y agoThe world is still waiting for a CA-53W backlight mod. Some rdditor seems to be working on it. https://www.reddit.com/r/casio/comments/12qplk8/ca53w_leds_mod_would_anyone_be_interested/ https://www.reddit.com/r/casio/comments/12qplk8/ca53w_leds_m...
- nehal3m 3y agoI had an F91W strap break on me. I replaced it with an A168 and printed a handlebar mount for my motorcycle (which didn't come with a clock in the dash): https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2935032 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2935032
- prxtl 3y agoA few years ago, H. Moser & Cie made a mechanical watch with their superb levels of craftsmanship that kinda/sorta parodied the Apple Watch: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/moser-swiss-alp-watch-s-introducing https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/moser-swiss-alp-watch-s-in...
- pinko 3y agoThis is mentioned in the OP's link.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoThrough posting on Reddit I learnt that Moser wasn't the only one either. Apparently Ciga Designs did some similar watches and even Casio has one, the MTP-M305
- FabHK 3y agoI find this version (also from H. Moser & Cie) more appealing: https://www.ablogtowatch.com/h-moser-cie-swiss-alp-watch-final-upgrade-hands-on/ https://www.ablogtowatch.com/h-moser-cie-swiss-alp-watch-fin...
- ask_b123 3y agoCould you perhaps explain this paragraph? > Alert readers will notice that Moser managed, in one paragraph, to dismiss the efforts of all three major luxury watch groups – Richemont, Swatch, and LVMH – as somewhat lacking in intestinal fortitude
- kingkongjaffa 3y agoThe paragraph they are referring to is the press release further up the page. They are basically saying none of the major manufacturers had done anything serious in the realm of smart watches. The reason it’s a “dangerous game” is because the watch industry was disrupted once before by the quartz crisis (cheap quartz watches flooding the market) and many manufacturers went out of business or had to merge with others to form larger groups to survive. So the danger is that smart watches will do the same. Watches had a rough time for a while after quartz became a thing in the 80’s. Now they are seen a jewellery more because every has a smart phone for time telling. But watch collecting as a hobby is making a comeback in the 2010’s to now with the internet and hype generating content like YouTube, instagram, Hodinkee, and consumers are keeping a multi billion dollar market afloat with products from million dollar Patek phillipe to 5 dollar casios.
- Hippocrates 3y agoI can never get tired of this sort of juxtaposition of old/new tech. Really cool project.
- fdye 3y agoWish this was for sale... shut up and take my money!
- dhosek 3y agoIf you have more money than you know what to do with, there’s always this: https://www.exquisitetimepieces.com/watch-brands/h-moser/swiss-alp-watch.html https://www.exquisitetimepieces.com/watch-brands/h-moser/swi...
- fdye 3y agoGood lord, $26.4K. Yeah not quite car-level worth it to me, although I'm sure they are very nice. Was thinking like $250-300, for a sort of anti-tech punk thing at tech parties.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoI've had a lot of people asking...
- screye 3y agoCool, but ugly. I won't wear it, but I'm glad it exists.
- alexjplant 3y agoThis is incredible... hats off to the maker. That being said I really wish that the Chinese ETA 2824-2 clone that is the PT5000 would see more action in place of Seiko movements. It's more accurate, runs at 4Hz, and isn't too far off in terms of cost (last I checked - I could be wrong as regards bulk orders). Then again I don't know whether it can be modded to be "open heart" a la the NH38 so it might not have been appropriate for this project in particular.
- sdrothrock 3y agoI was thinking that about the movement too -- or you could go for a Miyota/Citizen, the high-beat (28800) movements were around $70-80 on ebay the last time I checked.
- ghostganz 3y agoThe Miyota 90S5 would work, it is cheap and “open heart”.
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoDamn yeah, you guys are all on the money. I was thinking of an ETA clone or Sellita. As well as the Miyota 90S5 which was a really odd pick from ghostganz because I don't think its that popular of a movement. But I was looking at it as I had 0.5mm less height than Seiko's recommended minimum height within the case, and the 90S5 was much thinner. Ended up with the NH38 anyway because I was really REALLY unsure if I could even get this to work so it was a lower monetary investment. And, the stem shape worked for the weirdo linkages I made, because the linkage I made is technically within the footprint of all those movements.
- ghostganz 3y agoThe 90S5 is basically the very popular 9015 but with a big hole in it. :)
- NanoRobotGeek 3y agoAnd had to be open heart 1. because I liked how the mockup I did looked with an open heart and 2. because any more stem positions for different complication settings would have made my life a lot harder with getting the button/crown to work
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- tghtvbhcc 3y ago[flagged]
- ericzawo 3y agoI love watches but don't think I'll ever wear an Apple Watch. It just doesn't feel like a Watch. It's very much a wrist computer. I would love if they made an Apple Watchband, as in a computer-powered wristband of some kind that does all the great things Apple Watch does (pedometer, heart monitoring, gps, notifs) but replaces the watch band of my Actual Watch. Now that'd be something I would wear.
- growt 3y agoI also love mechanical watches and own a handful. But I also love the convenience to pay with my apple watch. The way I solved it: I wear my apple watch on the right arm and a "real" watch on the left.
- _thisdot 3y agoI do this at times when working from home. Never had the guts to actually do this in public. Maybe a fitness band with a real watch I even tried wearing the Apple Watch upside down on my dominant hand, but very easy to damage the watch that way
- kalleboo 3y agoThere's the Sony Wena which is basically a smart watchband with NFC payment, which seems like the concept that you and GP wants.
- gorbypark 3y agoThat would be amazing (especially if it was an Apple product).
- hbn 3y agoI'd hazard to guess watch enthusiasts would be less likely to like smart watches because they don't really provide the same value/draw. I have an Apple Watch because it's basically just an excuse to touch my phone less. I don't need to take it out when I get a notification, or when I'm listening to music and want to skip a track. I don't wear it as a fashion statement or with hopes I can pass it down for generations. It's just a phone accessory.
- jansan 3y agoIf you only want the casing and wristband of an Apple Watch there are cheap knockoffs on Aliexpress that have a quite solid hardware (and a crappy software).
- sschueller 3y agoThe Tag Heuer Connected first generation offered a "connected to eternity" program where after the guarantee (2 years?) you where able to convert the watch to an analog movement but it was another $1500... I am not sure if they still do it, they seem to offer a trade in program to get the newest version instead now. [1] https://forum.watchlounge.com/index.php?thread/240000-was-wurde-aus-dem-th-connected-tauschprogramm/ https://forum.watchlounge.com/index.php?thread/240000-was-wu...
- JohnBooty 3y agoI absolutely love this. I think a lot of techie types might not realize what an engineering marvel a mechanical watch movement is. I'm sure you all realize there are a lot of teeny tiny gears. But does the HN crowd realize there are 24 precious gems (lab-grown rubies and sapphires!!!!) inside the NH38 movement, serving as bearings and such? While the Apple Watch is in some ways orders of magnitude more advanced than a mechanical watch movement, in some ways the mechanical watch movement is more impressive. It could be argued that while the Apple Watch is the sum of roughly 100 years of electrical engineering, the mechanical watch is the sum of several thousands of years of mechanical engineering. It took mankind an incredible number of years to really master timekeeping to that level. (Not that the two are mutually exclusive. I find that the more I understand electronic timekeeping, the more I appreciate mechanical timekeeping, and vice-versa)
- thom 3y agoI grew to appreciate this watching the excellent videos on Wristwatch Revival: https://youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival https://youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival Which I only knew about through Marshall’s Magic: the Gathering links, but the watch stuff is surprisingly soothing.
- Ecstatify 3y agoSundials emphasize our reliance on the sun as a source of light and energy. They remind us of the fundamental role the sun plays in sustaining life on Earth and providing us with light and warmth. This dependency gives sundials a sense of harmony with the natural world and instills a sense of wonder and appreciation for the celestial bodies. Mechanical watches are diamonds for men.
- reaperducer 3y agoMechanical watches work at night.
- JoeJonathan 3y agoCannot tell if this is satire
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- gorbypark 3y agoI always have had somewhat of an unrealistic dream of taking an Apple Watch, removing the screen completely and installing a super thin mechanical movement on top (or putting the guts into a more tranditional looking case). I think it would be possible to use a smaller battery once the screen isn't there, to make more room for the movement as well. I'd love to have the health tracking features, and while I don't have an Apple Watch, I think that it would work without a screen and I'd just be able to use a phone to see the data.
- gregoriol 3y agoWhat you describe is the Withings ScanWatch: less screen, more battery duration, smartphone for data, ...
- rob74 3y agoBut that's not a mechanical movement, as far as I can see? Actually it can't be, because it needs to move the watch hands out of the way so you can see what's on the display... Another (slightly less pricey) "smartwatch with hands" alternative is the Garmin vivomove range: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/698394 https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/698394
- PeterBarrett 3y agoSequent might be of interest yo you https://sequentworld.com/ https://sequentworld.com/
- gregoriol 3y agoNice ideas there!
- gregoriol 3y agoThey are not mechanical indeed, they just look like them. Which is pretty nice. The Garmin one doesn't have ECG though.
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- wiseowise 3y agoCombining worst of both worlds, nice.
- rcarmo 3y agoVery, very nice. I have been trying to figure out how to replace the battery on my Apple Watch in a country with limited hardware support options, and although this won’t help, it is another reminder that Apple these days designs for disposability rather than long-term ownership…
- plewd 3y ago> I have been constructing a fully functional mechanical Apple Watch! A dumb watch if you will! chuckles at own joke Can someone... explain the joke? I don't know if it's a pun I'm missing :l
- grk 3y agoAs in opposite to smartwatch
- jacquesm 3y agoFantastic hack, I love repurposing junked stuff. Question (which I don't doubt has crossed your mind but I can't figure it out): why not rotate the movement, rotate the dial back (it has no complications so that shouldn't be a real issue) and then use a flex shaft for the crown?
- ciroduran 3y agoIf you don't know how mechanical watches work, this is a very good article that has been posted before in HN :D https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/ https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/
- babymatics 3y ago[dead]
- TomK32 3y agoNot to be confused with the OG, the 1995 Apple watch https://www.cnet.com/culture/original-90s-apple-watch-selling-for-2500-on-ebay/ https://www.cnet.com/culture/original-90s-apple-watch-sellin...
- jansan 3y agoImagine you find this atrocity of a watch in an old box on the attic and someone is willing to pay $2500 for it.
- wdb 3y agoLove to send this person my Apple Watch to convert it in a mechanical watch. so much better and cheaper than a H.Moser
- boopmaster 3y agothe energy used to salvage the e-waste may have been a bit excessive relative to the e-waste. really cool project! Also incredibly impractical while the barrier to entry isn't exactly low.
- throwaway14356 3y agoi wonder what the list of functions that can be done mechanicaly would look like. Can one say measure heart rate or say log something, can it do radio? etc
- usrusr 3y agoHeh, I was expecting also the movement made from discarded Apple watch materials, and now I feel bad about my disappointment because this project, while being orders of magnitude less insane, is still cool.
- DonHopkins 3y agoMacBook cases make great notebook covers too.
- subsubzero 3y agoReally cool! Fun fact - the apple watch was designed based on inspiration from a mechanical watch brand, ikepod. Jonathan Ive recruited Marc Newsom who created ikepod(with another watch maker) and Newsom took alot of the design elements from ikepod watches to come up with the apple watches unique look. So I guess its going full circle again. https://www.design-drivel.com/articles1/ikepod-applewatch https://www.design-drivel.com/articles1/ikepod-applewatch
- stuff4ben 3y agoThis is actually a pretty nifty business idea. All of these unsupported watches just going to landfills could be recycled into analogue movements. I have a series 3 that Apple no longer supports just sitting around. I don't have the time or patience to do what the OP did, but I'd gladly pay $50 to not chuck it in the trash.
- 6510 3y agoYou cant polish a turd... Hold my beer.