Project Update: Starting with a fresh new perspective

2026

I still have not completed this ESP32 smartwatch project ever since I started working out of college. Admittedly, there’s only so much motivation one can ride off of after working long hours to do more engineering for fun. But with my return to school finally set in motion, this will be a clear deadline to push myself to make clear progress with this.

So recap: I finished making a functional prototype, fashioned it with a shoddy untuned 3D print case, and created a progress video on Youtube. Good start but I always felt the next step should be manufacturing my own PCB rather than rely on development breakout boards. That way, compactness becomes feasible and I will no longer complain about wearing a chunky accessory.

I plan on documenting in detail the project when I complete major milestones but I had just completed the PCB design for the prototype board I will begin testing on. For all my projects before, I always fall into the pit of soldering a protoboard and spending way too much time on making the wires neat, then making a new protoboard when I forget where the code files are or want to rearrange it.

I will end up modifying the prototype PCB anyways, swapping capacitors and resistor as needed to fix any signal characteristics. Spacing the components out and adding a lot of test points should help with this process.

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This new watch comes with a new approach and design goal. I’ve been mulling over how to make my project interesting and fundamentally unique enough compared to the countless ESP32 smartwatches that can be purchased easily from Amazon and such or posted everyday on the r/ESP32 or r/arduino subreddit (although this is supposed to just be a personal exercise to practice PCB design).

This new watch will instead shift away from being primarily focused on the Apollo mission control as it’s main inspiration. This watch will fill the dissatisfaction I’ve had with smartwatches for a long time now, which is that they all look identical in form with infinitely programmable digital displays, which is boring to me especially compared to uniquely crafted mechanical watches and the many shapes they come in, even the digital watches.

In essence, this watch will feature a swappable faceplate that contains variable components like difference screen sizes, types, sensors, and the battery. When the watch eventually dies out, you can swap in a new battery rather than plugging it in every night, changing the physical look as a bonus. Some ideas to mind include:

1. Mission control based face with a small screen and LED array
2. Fully LED matrix
3. E-Ink face
4. Tiny 7Segment LED chip and transparent face showing internals

Can’t wait to get there. But in the mean time, here’s some pictures of the current design