Watch Design

Watch this animation from Animagraffs on how a mechanical watch processes time changes, and you’ll be mesmerized by how all the moving parts work together in perfect time. Diagram some parts you learned about and label them. 1. Mainspring 2. Wheel train 3. Escapement 4. Balance wheel 5. Crown 6. Jewel bearings 7. Hands

Some watches have batteries that keep them running, but other watches, called Automatic Movement Watches, use the movement of your wrist throughout the day to power the watch. An automatic watch has a rotor (metal weight) in the back, which moves freely within the case. When the wearer moves their wrist, the rotor spins and the motion transfers to the energy that winds the mainspring in the watch. This type of watch doesn’t need winding like battery-powered watches to keep it accurately telling time if the person wears it daily. This type of watch, invented in the 1770s, still has people using its technology today. Brainstorm a list or draw pictures of other wearable technologies powered by movement.

Watches come in all shapes and sizes. The design trends often follow clothing fashion trends. Watch bands can be metal chains linked together, metal mesh, leather, rubber, fabric, you name it! Different watch materials send another message about your sense of fashion. A plain leather band might be a more modest look, whereas a metal watch with diamonds says, “Look at me!”. A big, chunky watch evokes strength and durability. A small, dainty watch looks more like jewelry and adds interest to your outfit. Imagine you’re a watch designer! Find photos of 5 people with unique styles; they could be your family, friends, or famous people. Design watches that would suit their style. Draw and cut them out of paper. Put them on your wrist so you can see the scale of the band and clock face compared to your wrist.

Now design one for yourself!

Depending on the types of sensors inside the Smart Watch, they can tell you your heart rate, sleeping habits, if you have fallen, or how many steps you’ve taken today. If the core function of the device is to tell time, but it doesn’t rely on the wearer reading a conventional clock, how else can it tell you the time? It could use digital numbers. It could spell out the numbers, say the time out loud, or fill the dial with a color as the hour goes by like an hourglass. Brainstorm some other ideas and sketch them out!