This DIY wooden watch is not the smartest, but it’s among the coolest

By Luke Dormehl Published September 22, 2017

If there’s one bad thing about the popularity of smartwatches in 2017, it’s that they’re so darn mainstream. That’s great news if you’re a shareholder in Apple or Fitbit, but less good if you’re a tech-loving hipster in search of the next great wearable that’ll set you apart from the crowd. Well, weep into your Atari-themed cashmere scarf no longer because we’ve found what you’re looking for — and it’s available to pre-order on Kickstarter. Created by Harvard computer scientist Harnek Gulati, the Wooden Word Watch is a wooden watch that tells the time by spelling it out to you.

“It started off as presents for my closest friends,” Gulati told Digital Trends. “Back in college, I was really tired of not learning practical skills in school. There was a lot of theory, but I wasn’t implementing any of it. So I started building my close friends birthday presents, both as a method of learning engineering, and a way of making their birthdays a little more special. I couldn’t figure out a present for Andrew, my best friend, until 8 months after his birthday, when a girl sitting down next to me in class started researching wooden watches. I had built wooden clocks before, but never really designed something myself — so I took on the challenge.”

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wooden watch — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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wooden word watch woodwatch2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

wooden word watch woodwatch1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gulati’s first version of the watch was bulky and thick, but he honed the design in subsequent iterations. The version he’s now bringing to market looks comparatively slick and polished, but retains just the right amount of its rustic DIY charm. This isn’t a smartwatch in the sense of having a bunch of smart sensors to track everything from your steps to your glucose levels, but it’s definitely smart in terms of its workings and overall effect. Pressing the button on it once turns on the word layout to find the nearest 5-minute mark. Pressing it again turns on the digital layout, while pressing it one final time turns off the display.

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The Wooden Word Watch costs $219 to pre-order, with a shipping date of November 2017. Sadly, there’s no price tier available for becoming Gulati’s newest best friend, which means you won’t be on his recipients list the next time he creates a DIY birthday masterpiece. Still, ordering a watch will probably endear you to him a little bit.

Former Contributor

I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…

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