“The solution is simple, but elegant and functional” – Kommersant FM
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Kommersant FM columnist Alexander Levi tells how the Apple Watch turns into a bedside alarm clock using the device.
Apple Watch accounts for more than half of the global smartwatch market. Over the past year, about 53 million units of such “Apple” electronics were sold. In other words, it is the most popular device in its category. Therefore, the colossal number of accessories for the Apple Watch, especially from third-party vendors, is quite predictable, but at the same time they are intriguing.
What can designers and engineers come up with to make money on the best-selling smartwatches? Well, except for custom straps, protective cases and films. The authors of the NightWatch docking station focused on the Nightstand mode, in which the wristwatch turns into a bedside alarm clock. The solution is incredibly simple, but at the same time elegant and functional.
Essentially, NightWatch is a transparent hemisphere, that is, a large lens that visually enlarges the display of a smartwatch. The engineers chose lucite as the material. This is a fairly common type of polymer that can be described simply as plastic. But it was polished so thoroughly that it acquired a very noble appearance. So much so that some antique dealers see in NightWatch an allusion to the famous model of pocket watches of the second decade of the 19th century, Eye of Time.
In addition to optical effects and aesthetics, NightWatch has a couple of functional options. First of all, the developers provided sound channels. The latter amplify any signals emanating from the watch. So the chances of sleeping through the alarm are reduced. More importantly, the user can reschedule or stop the alarm on the watch by touching the NightWatch hemisphere rather than the display. How you manage to bring the touch to the watch sensor is a mystery that, to be honest, you don’t want to solve in order to preserve the magic.
As expected from a docking station, NightWatch participates in charging a wearable gadget, but by itself does not connect to the network in any way. The engineers have provided a connector into which the native Apple Watch charger is simply installed. At the time of writing this text, the authors were asking $59 for the bedside accessory.
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