There Is Finally a DIY Smartwatch Worth Building

DIY smartwatches are hardly a new idea in the maker community, but few of the projects we see are worth building. Because of the very restrictive size constraints, a capable and practical smartwatch is very difficult to build without serious engineering skills and a substantial budget. We have access to better hardware than ever before, but it is still hard to find off-the-shelf components small enough to be suitable for smartphone applications. That’s why it is so impressive that rahmanshaber was able to design a DIY smartwatch called MutantW V2 that is actually worth building.

Surprisingly, none of the components in MutantW V2 are particularly special or expensive. But even so, the complete smartwatch looks pretty similar to an Apple Watch (just 12% thicker). That proves that rahmanshaber has some serious engineering chops to make everything fit inside such a compact package. The most important component is an ESP32 microcontroller, which gives the MutantW V2 respectable processing power, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and decent power efficiency. Other features include a 1.7” IPS LCD display, a charging/programming dock, days of battery life in “low power mode,” two customizable hardware buttons, vibratory haptic feedback, and interchangeable watch bands.

It was possible to fit all of those parts, along with the various ICs, resistors, capacitors, and other components needed to make this work, inside the watch thanks to clever packaging and the custom PCBs. There are two PCBs: one for the watch itself and one for the dock. When placed on the dock, several pins make connections and allow for both charging and programming. Those and the 200mAh lithium-ion battery fit inside a 3D-printed shell. The dock is also 3D-printed and very compact. The watch case is compatible with Apple Watch bands, so users can take advantage of the massive selection available.

The one downside with this design that we can see is that it doesn’t have a touchscreen. That forces users to interact with the watch interface solely through the two hardware buttons. We’re not sure why rahmanshaber didn’t use a touchscreen, but hopefully they will include that in the third revision. Even as it stands, the MutantW V2 has a lot of potential. The current firmware is pretty basic, so rahmanshaber is asking for help from programmers who can help to make this smartwatch something truly special.