Y2Z Mechanical belt-drive watch.

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Design submitted by Peter from the UK.

Peter says: This is “Y2Z” (Y two Z) I wanted to come up with a simple belt orientated design that looks really technical and Sci-fi but was ultimately makeable.

I decided to use a conventional analogue movement to power the belts which in turn would rotate around dolly wheels in a different orientation, hence the name “Y2Z”

The time is told by the three belts driven by wheels where the hands would normally be, the top belt displays the hours, the lower left belt 10 min groups (could be conventional minutes) and the third lower right belt single minutes (could be seconds as per conventional analogue movement) The controls  for adjustment are on the reverse of the watch to save cluttering the design. The illumination is activated by tapping on the glass.

This design has a very technical look which may interest people who like mechanical products and fine engineering. The Sci-fi feel will broaden its appeal to a wider audience.

The illumination of the wheels adds to the sci-fi look.

The three belt configuration with the change in orientation helps this design stand out from the crowd. The unusual external shape differs it from others.

50 thoughts on “Y2Z Mechanical belt-drive watch.”

  4. I would like to see if you could do this for a reasonable price. I saw a belt-drive watch on the internet that was going for $17,000.

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    • Hi Michael, Crikey 17k is a little top side. If this can be made easily like I think it could there would be no reason for it to cost the earth. The movement would be a standard off the shelf part. The wheels could be moulded parts (in transparent plastic) and the belts are moulded in rubber. So there isn’t anything exotic in there to add to the cost. Fingers crossed that its make able and affordable! 😀

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      • Unfortunately you could not use a standard movement because they don’t have enough strength to move anything more substantial than a regular watch finger.

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      • Its the same movement for disc or hand – you just use a disc instead of a hand.
        The disc is usually a very thin plastic sheet to keep the weight down.
        I am sure there are movement options with more power though because some watches have metal discs.

        I am fairly certain this design would need something custom as it edges into the mechanical realm. Its part of the reason some mechanical watches are so expensive because developing a totally new mechanical movement to tell the time precisely is a difficult task.

        Still, this is a beauty Pete. Always a pleasure to see your imaginative designs.

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      • Some much for the feasibility then, Doh!
        Cheers for the info and the compliment Toky!
        Back to the drawing board! 😀

        Sorry guys 17-21k it is then! lol

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    • Here’s 3 ways to drive up the price of a watch : 1 ) Some company / independant watchmaker take over 5 years ( up, but not limited, to 10 years ) in the development stage. 2 ) They use expensive material like titanium or gold-coated titanium for the case, sapphire glass instead of regular glass, for mechanical watch : on the back there is another sapphire glass instead of a metal cover, etc. 3 ) Their models are extremelly limited edition, I speak of under 100. ( some are 1, 12, 50, 88 )

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  5. Nice work pete! Really cool sci fi shape, and lights and the tracks look like some precision engineering! Well done and well modelled 😉

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    • Thanks a lot Keiron, yeah I was trying to re-capture some of the engineered but mysterious look that people seemed to like in Tricircle back in the day. Cheers for the comment and the vote! 😀

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  8. Wondersome, awefu… no wait, Wonderful, awesome!!! Great shape of the case, nicely intercrated into the straps. Thebelt mechanism is so elegant ♥

    Hm, it’s maybe a little tricky to see the current hour because it bends away from the view. Maybe all facing numbers should tell the time, but then subtle indicators are needed. Oh do I see a 0 after the 12th hour? Hehe, not sure how to comment to this 😉

    Pete, this is a wonderful and creative concept. 5*/YES (the 5 on the 5 key on my keyboard is faded already)

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    • hehe cheers Sam, thanks for the feedback! Yeah I see your point about the numbers being more easily seen. Your suggestion of the numbers for the time being the ones on top. Maybe the glass just doesn’t wrap quite so far around the rad so the last number is still the one that tells the time but is on the top of the display. Thanks for wearing out the number 5! 😀

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  10. i’m a Rolex and Cartier lover.
    but this Watch Wow.
    1 wan’t one. it looks different. beuatuiful.
    i don’t know what is cost. but it looks like a 1000$ plus watch

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    • Hi John, sounds like you have expensive taste! 😉 I’m glad you think this can be mentioned in the same sentence as those iconic brands. I think this could be made affordable, as I mentioned in a comment above most parts would be off the shelf or simple mouldings. So should cost effective. x^^x

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  12. Officialy voted the coolest watch ever !!!
    I love this watch so much that I think I’m going to marry her.
    Y2Z, would you marry me? 5*/Y

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    • Wow now that is expensive. I think the watches you both mentioned are very high end with complicated movements which have date and chrono features etc. what I propose is just a basic movement which powers the belts to display the time in a slightly unusual way. I use Solidworks with a built in render package. Its more of an engineering package with limited rendering capabilities but it does the job. I’ve been using the software a few years but the rendering side about a year (since I started submitting here) cheers for comment and the vote! 😀

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    • Allways two there are……a master and an apprentice……..the force is strong with you two! 😉
      Cheers to both for the second take and the comment! 😀

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  17. Looks very imaginative, congratulations… sadly, I doubt they will manufacture it, it looks kinda complicated and prone to malfunctions.

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    • Thanks for the comment BTrayal and im glag you like the creativity. I think the display method would be easily manufactured and is simpler than it looks. By the sounds of it finding or affording a movement robust enough is the issue. It may be a pipe-dream buts its a nice one! cheers 😀

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  18. I like the overall look, and love that the adjustment buttons are under. But, I’m not sure about the readability. The minute parts could be rotated a bit to be vertical ( like the hour ). I doubt that it could be made with a standard analog movement. It might be possible to make with a mechanical movement.

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    • Yeah from the feedback so far and the info from TF its sounds like a non-standard movement would be required. I dont know if this makes the design un-feasible or un-desirable for TF. Fingers crossed such movements are available and not too expensive! x^^x

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  19. First of all, absolutely wonderful design! Very unique, and I’m sure it would be absolutely eye catching. The black/red one in particular looks sinister! It looks like a watch Darth Vader would wear! But I too am worried with readability. As of the current design shown here, it would be very awkward to read the time considering the fact that the time all seem to point outward on the very most “tip”. Maybe if they all faced upward so as to read it like a conventional watch albeit with belts.

    All in all, I love the design bar the readability issue. And I would buy this if that issue were resolved. But even if it weren’t, I’d still probably buy it due to it’s uniqueness.

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    • Yeah a few people have mentioned the position of the the time telling numbers. Its an easy fix, the case would just wrap further around the diameter and the glass would not wrap around quite as far, the numbers would then be at the very top of the diameter of the dolly wheels when they are telling the time. Im glad you likey! Thanks for the feedback and the support Jonathan! 😀

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  20. Time runs out soon for this concept. Cheers to every who voted, commented and shared!
    Thanks TF for adding this post to the blog!
    Cheers everyone,

    Pete from Blighty 😀

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