Unrelated to the article, but hijacking the history and making it impossible to navigate back is the new cancer in the internet I guess.
I 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.
A 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-in...
Not to be confused with the OG, the 1995 Apple watch https://www.cnet.com/culture/original-90s-apple-watch-sellin...
The 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-wu...
This 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.
Very, 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…
I 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.
Heh, 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.
This 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.
"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.
Obligatory link to this wonderful interactive site explaining the inner workings of mechanical watches: https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/
Fantastic 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?
Is it tacky that I want to do this with the guts of a Casio F91W or the CA-53W? Perhaps.
If 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/
Wish this was for sale... shut up and take my money!
> 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
Really 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.
If 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).
I can never get tired of this sort of juxtaposition of old/new tech. Really cool project.
I think the correct candidate for a pocket watch would be an old school iPod.
It 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?)
Love to send this person my Apple Watch to convert it in a mechanical watch. so much better and cheaper than a H.Moser
Combining worst of both worlds, nice.
This is really cool. Great gift for grand parents who struggle to use Smart watch.
the 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.
Cool, but ugly. I won't wear it, but I'm glad it exists.
H. Moser et Cie do a decent mechanical "Apple Watch"
i 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
MacBook cases make great notebook covers too.
You cant polish a turd... Hold my beer.
That's really cool :D
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Want! #TakeMyMoneyGifGoesHere
I 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)