# Watchy An open-source e-paper smartwatch. You write the firmware and decide what it does.^[https://watchy.sqfmi.com/] - Made by SQFMI (Squarofumi). Sold on shop.sqfmi.com, The Pi Hut, Mouser and Crowd Supply. - Hardware, software and docs are MIT-licensed. OSHWA certified (US000936).^[https://watchy.sqfmi.com/docs/license] - KiCad files, Gerbers, schematics and BOM are public. Case files come as STEP and STL for 3D printing. ## Hardware (Rev 3.0, June 2024) - ESP32-S3 chip with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE.^[https://watchy.sqfmi.com/docs/hardware] - 200 x 200 e-paper display. Readable in direct sun. - BMA423 accelerometer for step counting and wrist gestures. - Vibration motor. Four buttons: menu, back, up, down. - 200 mAh battery. 5–7 days for time only, 2–3 days with Wi-Fi fetches.^[https://watchy.sqfmi.com/docs/battery-life] - 46 x 35.5 x 9.5 mm, 13 g. Micro USB. ## Software - Program it in the Arduino IDE. Install the Espressif ESP32 boards and the `Watchy` library.^[https://watchy.sqfmi.com/docs/getting-started] - The watch face *is* the whole firmware. A new face can change everything the watch does. - Community watch faces exist. The ESP32-S3 also supports MicroPython and ESP-IDF. - Wi-Fi setup: the watch opens a captive portal called "Watchy AP". ## Why it matters - Same idea as [[Framework Computer]]: the owner, not the vendor, controls the device. - No account, no app store, no cloud. Data stays on the wrist unless you send it somewhere. - E-paper uses power only to change the screen. Days of battery from a tiny cell. - A cheap way to learn embedded hardware: sensors, power, display and radio on one board. ## First steps - Flash mode: hold Back and Up for more than 4 seconds. Use a data cable, not a charge-only one. - Ideas to build: a weather face, a step goal, a calendar glance, a Pomodoro timer. > [!warning] Handle with care > - The screen is glass. It cracks if you bend it or overtighten case screws. > - Do not apply the included tape if you use the case. > - Heat over 60 °C damages the display. > - No water resistance is stated. ---- tags: #boat #hardware links: [[Companies]] [[Framework Computer]] [[Device modularity]]