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Math Campbell-Sturgess built a smart pocket watch inspired by the Neo-Victorian look of Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age. Its core is a Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch AMOLED 1.75-inch development board, and the reported firmware displays the time, weather and tides. The project is a DIY build—not a finished retail watch or a replica of a specific device from the novel.
What the watch does—and what inspired it
The project takes its visual cue from the novel’s Victorian-meets-advanced-technology aesthetic. It is not the Primer: the book’s interactive Primer is a separate object, while the watch draws on the protagonist’s pocket watch and its email-related uses. Hackaday’s Tyler August described Campbell’s design as capturing the book’s “Victorian High-Tech vibe.” Hackaday’s project report covers the inspiration and the creator’s comments.
In its reported current form, the watch shows time, weather and tidal information. Those are the established functions; additional capabilities described in the project software are possibilities for further development, not a claim that they are already implemented.
Hardware inside the pocket watch
The project’s platform is the Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch AMOLED 1.75-inch development board. It supplies the ESP32-S3 and a circular 1.75-inch touchscreen. Hackaday also lists a six-axis IMU, real-time clock (RTC), microphone, speaker and microSD card reader among the board’s hardware.
The Tool Desk
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- 🔥【Dual Mode & High Performance】 The ESP32-S3 development board features integrated dual-core xtensa 32-bit LX7 microprocessor, clock speed up to 240 MHz, with 16MB Flash and 8 MB PSRAM. Perfect for Arduino IoT projects requiring stable wireless communication with ultra-low power consumption.
- 🔧【Easy Programming & Debugging】 Equipped with dual USB Type-C ports, this ESP32-S3 board supports both USB and UART modes for effortless programming, firmware flashing, and debugging.
- 🌐【Versatile Wireless Connectivity】 Built-in Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) and Bluetooth 5.0 (LE) dual-mode ensure seamless connectivity with a wide range of smart devices, making it ideal for IoT, smart homes projects.
- 🚀【Flexible Download Options】 Supports dual download methods — USB direct download or USB-to-serial download — offering flexibility and convenience for different development needs.Ideal for beginners and developers working with ESP32-S3.
- 🔋【Advanced Power-Saving Modes】 Designed for energy-efficient applications, with 3.3V SPI voltage, the ESP32-S3 board supports multiple low-power modes, allowing you to extend battery life based on different usage scenarios.
The board is the clearest part to source if you want to follow the project. The creator’s Smartwatch-V5 repository also identifies it as the project platform. A battery and enclosure are needed for a complete build, but the project report does not specify a battery model, capacity, chemistry, dimensions or connector. Check the board documentation and project files before selecting one.
How the software is organized
The repository describes a standalone smartwatch interface built with Arduino, PlatformIO and LVGL. The software handles the round AMOLED display and touch panel, brightness, dimming, sleep and wake behavior, and user settings stored in LittleFS. The repository presents the code as a starting point for custom watch faces, sensor integration and notifications; those are extension goals rather than confirmed features of the current watch.
Rank #2
- ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1-N16R8 SPI voltage: 3.3v, ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 is an entry-level development board equipped with Wi-Fi + Bluetooth module ESP32-S3
- Most of the I/O pins on the module are broken out to the pin headers on both sides of this board for easy interfacing. Developers can either connect peripherals with jumper wires or mount ESP32-S3-DevKitC on a breadboard.
- The ESP32-S3-DevKitC development board equipped with ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1-N16R8, a general-purpose Wi-Fi + Bluetooth LE MCU module that integrates complete Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE functions.
- ESP32-S3-N16R8 cable can be used: USB Type A to Type-C cable or CC cable Note the distinction between the commonly used USB A port to Type-C cable that can only be charged, which cannot be used for communication between YD-ESP32-S3 and the host.
- USB-to-UART Port and ESP32-S3 USB Port (either one or both), default power supply (recommended)
Case design and files for a build
Campbell designed the enclosure in Fusion 360 and had it 3D printed in stainless steel. He said he planned to make a final version by hand in sterling silver. The current repository lists STL files for the main case, back, crown, IO button, reset button and RF insert, making the enclosure files available to people attempting their own fabrication.
The case is custom rather than an off-the-shelf pocket-watch shell. Fabrication and fit will depend on the case files and the chosen board and battery; the available project information does not establish a complete parts specification or a guaranteed drop-in assembly.
Rank #3
- 【Low-power performance】: The AYWHP ESP32-S3 Core development board integrates a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE) dual-mode communication module, perfect for Arduino Internet of Things (IoT) projects.
- 【Simple programming and debugging】: The ESP32-S3 module makes it easy to program and burn in your ESP32-S3 board via dual USB Type-C ports, with a choice of USB or UART modes.
- 【Multiple Power Saving Modes】: The ESP S3 development board supports multiple low-power modes, which can be configured according to different application scenarios to provide longer battery life.
- 【Dual download modes】: The ESP S3-1 module supports both USB direct connection download and USB to serial port download, providing more flexibility and convenience.
- 【Diverse connectivity options】: The ESP32-S3-1 supports dual-mode Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 (LE) connectivity for a wide range of smart devices, making it ideal for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Is this a complete watch to buy?
No complete commercial watch is described. This is a maker project built around a development board, custom enclosure and project firmware. For a build-versus-buy decision, treat the Waveshare board as the defined hardware platform and the stainless-steel printed case as a fabrication route—not as evidence that the whole watch is sold as a finished product.
The cited project material does not establish price, battery runtime, water resistance or timekeeping accuracy. It therefore cannot support a meaningful comparison with finished pocket watches on those measures.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【GOLD EDITION — IMMERSION GOLD PCB】The Lonely Binary Gold Edition features a black PCB with lead-free immersion gold (ENIG) plating and clear silkscreen — the signature finish of the Lonely Binary Gold Edition line. RoHS-compliant.
- 【16MB FLASH + 8MB PSRAM】Large memory capacity for OTA updates, large programs, and AI/ML tasks — more headroom than 4MB boards for data-intensive IoT and automation projects.
- 【EXTERNAL IPEX ANTENNA】External IPEX antenna can be positioned for extended WiFi and Bluetooth signal coverage — for remote applications like weather stations, robots, or enclosed builds.
- 【DUAL USB TYPE-C PORTS】Separate power and data ports for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Power via USB-C (5V) or VIN pin (5–12V); do not exceed 5V on the USB-C ports.
- 【FLEXIBLE PROTOTYPING PINS】2x40-pin GPIO headers compatible with breadboards and sensors. Supports external ToF sensors via I2C for distance sensing.
Rank #4
- 【ESP32-S3 PERFORMANCE】Dual-core 240MHz processor with 16MB Flash and 8MB PSRAM for IoT, AI, and machine learning projects.
- 【WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY】Onboard antenna for 2.4GHz WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 LE — for smart home devices, no external antenna needed.
- 【LEAD-FREE GOLD EDITION DESIGN】Immersion gold (ENIG) plating for durability and conductivity. Lead-free, RoHS-compliant — for long-term prototyping.
- 【PRE-SOLDERED, PLUG-IN DESIGN】ESP32-S3 boards come with pre-soldered headers and plug directly into the included expansion and terminal boards — no soldering required.
- 【MULTI-PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY】Works with C++, MicroPython, ESP-IDF, Raspberry Pi, and STM32 — with online tutorials for quick start. Power via USB-C (5V) or VIN pin (5–12V); do not exceed 5V on the USB-C ports.
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