Converting a Wristwatch Into a Desk Clock

Some Wristwatches tend to wear down quickly. But in most cases the clock itself does still work and I wondered whether it is possible to "rescue" those old clocks by extracting the clockwork and putting it into a new clock case...

And guess what: It did work out! And you can convert your wristwatch into a little desk clock yourself!

In order to to this you need some supplies:

• Of course an old wristwatch whose clockwork is still working
• also some basic tool like a thin flat screwdriver for the opening of the wristwatch
• a 3D printer or CNC router or crafting skills to make the clock case (model was designed for 3D printing)
• maybe also a new battery for the clock

Extract the clockwork by

1. Removing the back plate with a screw driver
2. Unplugging the pin (Attention: Don't bend the pin while pulling it out)
3. Take out the white placeholder
4. Finished: You have now extracted the clockwork
5. (You could change/customize the clock face or the hands)

The steps should be very similar to any other analog wristwatch

The only part of the wristwatch we are not going to reuse is the old watch case. So we need to make a new one:

1. Use a 3D modeling program (Fusion 365, FreeCAD, Inventor,...) to start creating the case (use FreeCAD if you want to customize my design)
2. Measure the diameter of the watch face, glass and metal plate
3. Create a cube with proper dimensions (mine was 36*36*17mm)
4. in sketch mode (part design): Draw a circle with the diameter of the glass on the front of the cube and make a pocket/extrude with the height of the glass
5. add a hole with a little smaller diameter (about 1mm) as the one of the watch face (this hole is supposed to keep the watch face in place) chose a small height like 1mm or less
6. Extrude another hole on the back of the cube but with the dimensions of the cover plate
7. extrude another hole within the cover plate hole for the watch face (use the diameter of the watch face)
8. choose a side on the cube and extrude a hole with the diameter of the pin (add a millimeter or so because the 3D printer wont be that accurate on this) and calculate the proper position (see the pictures)
9. chamfer the edges as much as you want and/or customize the overall design (add a stand or an engraving)

It might be the case that your 3D printed case doesn't fit on first try. Depending on how well your printer is calibrated it is necessary to adapt some dimensions to make it fit. You could also try to rework the finished print witch sandpaper or e.g. a small drill for the pin hole)

In order the assemble your new desktop watch

1. 3D print or make a proper case which fits the dimensions of your clockwork
2. insert the watch glass which you extracted earlier (you can glue it in place if it doesn't snap fit)
3. insert the clockwork together with the white placeholder
4. Put the pin back into the clockwork through the hole (make sure that the hole in your clockwork is aligned with the hole of the case)
5. close the back of the watch with the plate you extracted earlier
6. finished: admire your new creation

To convert a digital watch like this just follow the steps from above...

Of course some things have to be changed:

• no hole for the pin is needed anymore
• you could add holes for the switches of the digital clockwork and use 3D printer filament snippets as button pins (glue them directly on the switches on the clockwork as soon as the clockwork is in the case)
• there may be other things to consider but I'm sure you'll figure that out ; ) (I'm still about to print a case for the digital watch so further steps and images are going to follow up)