A DIY LED Wristwatch with a Custom Machined Aluminum Housing

Chris O’Riley’s 9-year-old son had a need for some sort of portable timer that was easy to read and would allow him to keep track of time…

Cameron Coward
5 years agoWearables

Chris O’Riley’s 9-year-old son had a need for some sort of portable timer that was easy to read and would allow him to keep track of time. O’Riley wanted his son to have the freedom to go out and play with his friends, and the responsibility to get to his homework himself, and so he needed a timer to know when to do it. O’Riley could have simply purchased a cheap wristwatch, but instead decided to make one entirely from scratch.

To make it easy to tell the time, O’Riley’s design uses just 26 LEDs. 12 of those are for the hours, 12 are for the minutes (divided into five minute chunks), one is for the alarm status, and one is for the charging status. Those are controlled by an 8-bit Microchip ATtiny841 through an ISSI IS31FL3235 LED driver. The timer is an STMicroelectronics M41T62, and charging of the small LiPo battery is handled by a Microchip MCP73831. All of those components are surface-mount to keep the watch as compact as possible.

The most impressive part of the project, however, is the watch housing. That was custom designed and milled out of aluminum on a Taig CNC mill, and then polished to a mirror shine. All of the watches functions, including setting the time and alarm, can be programmed with a single button in the center of the face. That makes it easy to use, and ensures the O’Riley’s son has the most fashionable watch on the playground.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
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