Build your own Module watch

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Smart watches are the must have gadget of the moment. They have been a popular theme on the blog too, with various weird and wonderful schemes suggested. One of the main issues the blog has highlighted is that not everyone who likes these weird and wonderful schemes necessarily needs all the expensive features that come included in a smart watch, and more importantly they don’t want to pay for features they don’t need.

Fracture 1

Lewis and Pete decided that the solution to this issue is a modular smart watch concept.

Think “Raspberry Pi” for your wrist.

Fracture 2

The basic premise is that you buy a basic watch, which includes a common display (Pete has opted for e-paper and Lewis has chosen colour TFT), some basic smart watch functions and connectivity. Then extra modules can be bought either separately or as part of bundles which would simple clip in to various micro usb ports on the watch.

Module 2

This allows the customer to pick the features they need and leave the ones out they don’t, and creates a certain amount of customisation.

These modules could consist of extra smart features like wi-fi transmitters, Bluetooth and GPS. Maybe extra displays to extend the stock display or add other types like LED or even analogue. Extra memory or adaptors could be fitted for extra connectivity or increased productivity. Maybe gadgets are more your thing, so why not fit a torch or laser pen module?

Fracture 3

For some people this extra tech may be a step too far and they just wish to customise the look of the watch so they could fit decorative modules and port blanking covers.

The time telling could also be customisable by down-loading display styles off the website. This also has the added benefit of allowing more blog designs to become reality even if they are only displays rather than full watches. If e-paper was used colour filters could also be fitted to add an extra layer of customisation.

Module 1

Fracture 5

This modular concept allows the watch to be more accessible to more people. Both financially and desirability. It also gives the watch a longer shelf life as it can be easily be upgraded rather than becoming obsolete.

It would allow the watch to be unisex as the modules chosen would decide how subtle or crazy the watch would look. There could even be a couple of body designs, Lewis and Pete couldn’t decide on just one look so we did a model each for the examples. Lewis’s being the more sleek and sporting version and Pete’s being the more industrial of the two.

The modular concept and the wide range of possible additions, options and customisation allows this concept to let its owner decide how it sets itself aside from others 🙂

Fracture 4 Fracture 6 Module 3 Module Comp Module Dashboard

18 thoughts on “Build your own Module watch”

  4. Great idea guys. A smart design for smart watch.
    I like that you’ve avoided going too far. I probably would have included different screen shapes and sizes, but that would have given extra manufacturing challenges and a challenge to developers creating apps and faces for it (which sizes / shapes to do?). All possible, but keeping it simple is probably best.
    Good face examples too!

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    • Yeah I think its sensible to have a “standardised” screen layout to make it as universal as possible. Then if you want to change the shape/size you could add screen extension modules 🙂 Cheers for the support sir! 🙂

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  5. Thanks for all your kind words!

    We think this idea has real premise. We understand it would be a difficult project to undertake but what a world it would be if Toky made the first smart watch that people have full control over. The displays meant that the battery life could match a Pebble. The personalisation goes beyond an Iwatch and even if you have the base model without a single module you still get a bespoke Toky design on your wrist with cryptic displays.

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    • Thanks for the comment Galen, that display is from my back-catalogue and was originally called “snake”. The beauty of this concept is you could download and use a variety of different watch displays 🙂

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  7. I like the idea of adding/removing the indicators we need/don’t need. It can be customized depending on what activity we will do & changed many time. I have a concern about the plausibility of not realizing that 1 have fallen & losing it.

    Overall look: both are nice. In Pete model, I like the slot to add a colored plate (other than it should be inserted from the top to reduce the chance of losing it). I’d go with the one that is less high.

    I like the 5-12-9 by Lewis & Pete digit in digit.

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    • Hi Makko,
      We didn’t go into too much detail on the finite details, but I think that the usb connections/modules could have a simple latch mech. So that you have to press in a feature on the watch or module to release. This would remove the likelihood of modules falling out. Nice thoughts on the use of the modules and customisation 🙂

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  8. An excellent executed concept point to perhaps a new direction for Tokyo Flash Japan creating / building customized watches to suit an individual’s requirements. Their are however their are other existing Smart watches that are rectangular case / screen. Perhaps other Tokyo Flash watch cases could include Modular features: Square / Hexagonal Etc.

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    • Cheers for the feedback ObeliX! Yeah it would be a nice combo of hardware and software options. It could be made subtle or completely bonkers, what ever the wearer wanted 🙂

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