The Amazing Vortex Watch Features an Infinity Mirror Effect
Nolan Doktor's wearable may be the trippiest way to tell time.
Wristwatches tend to be some of the more difficult DIY projects to tackle, just because space is so limited. Not only will you almost certainly need to use SMD (Surface-Mount Device) components, you’ll probably have to use very small ones like 0603 size or smaller if your watch is going to have any kind of complexity to it. Those constraints make designing a wristwatch quite the challenge. But Nolan Doktor accomplished that in a spectacular way with his amazing Vortex watch, which features a trippy infinity mirror effect.
If you’re not familiar, the infinity mirror effect is what happens when you put a light between two mirrors. If you’ve ever ridden in an elevator with mirrored walls, then you’ve seen how your image reflects back and forth forever. The infinity mirror does the same thing by sandwiching lights between two mirrors, one of which is a two-way mirror so you can see through it. The resulting effect makes it look like the lights inside are stretching out infinitely. In this case, twelve RGB LEDs are arranged between the two mirrors, and those are used to show the current time.
Those LEDs are 3535 size WS2812B individually-addressable RGB LEDs, and they’re controlled by a Microchip ATmega32U4 microcontroller. An RTC helps keep accurate time, while other tiny ICs are used for power management and voltage regulation. Those are all soldered onto a custom PCB. That PCB sits inside of a 3D-printed enclosure, which Doktor recommends having made from titanium. CNC milling can be done instead, if that’s easier for you. The mirrors are two-acrylic mirrors, with one of them engraved to allow the LED light to enter. A standard watch glass crystal and wristband are used. After assembly, two capacitive touch buttons are used to set the time. If you’re looking for a DIY wristwatch to dazzle your friends, this is a great choice.