The 3D printing technology has revolutionized the way things are built including timepieces. Yes, you can now design your own watch and print it using a 3D printer. With this, you can customize your watch and decide how colorful or how easy or complicated it’ll look. Making your own watch can now be done at home.

Wristwatches are among the oldest and most popular timepieces. This Garmin Instinct review post tells us that wristwatches are not only a fashion statement but also a very helpful part of your wardrobe. If you know how to create your own watch, you can easily design one for your outfit and lifestyle.

To make this type of watch, you’ll need some tools, including a 3D printer, computer, soldering iron, clockwork parts and a small screw driver.

Here’s how to make your own watch using a 3D printer:

1. Design your watch

The first step is to design the basic look of the watch. This includes the type of face, the material the band is made from, the bottom of the case and other small aspects. You can either come up with your design yourself, download free files from the internet, or have a professional design company do it for you. If you choose to work on the design yourself, you can begin the next step which is to decide on the type of 3D printed software you’ll use for the process.

CAD software will allow you to design a watch by simply using CAD drawing tools and features that include animated models. If you’re a newbie at designing watches, you can choose to learn how to design watches with this software. The learning curve is not too steep, but you’ll need to spend time getting familiar with all the different controls and features.

You can also download ready-to-print files from the internet if you’re not so fussy about customizing your watch.

2. Get your watch modeled

Now that you have your design and CAD drawing software, it is time to get the design onto paper. This step may seem tedious, but it will be worth it once you see your finished product. If you are someone who loves to design things on your own, you may want to consider designing your own printed watch.

3. Print your design on a 3D printer

The next step in designing a 3D printed watch is to take your design and have it printed on your 3D printer. To ensure the best results from printing, make sure to use a filament that comes with a high-quality surface finish and then set the printer settings to the highest resolution. Moreover, ensure that the outer casings are printed with support. Printing the other parts without support is fine. If you print at a speed of 60 mm/s, then it should take 3.5 hours to finish printing your parts.

4. Finish your printed parts

Before you can assemble your watch, you’ll have to polish your printed parts. Begin by removing any support materials you’ve used. If you don’t own a sanding machine, you can do it manually instead. If there are any surface defects from printing, you can then use specialized putty, allow it to dry before sanding it again until it’s smooth.

If you want to coat your watch, apply one to two coats of primer and then sand down the dry primed parts using a 600+ grit sandpaper. Use a lightly damp cloth to wipe down the sanded parts and remove any dust. You can then apply two to three coats of paint. You can choose from a standard spray paint or airbrush. Allow the paint to dry and seal with clear coating.

5. Assemble your watch

The last step in creating your own 3D printed watch is to assemble your watch. To do this, you’ll need to use some type of plastic tube, wire, or needle. Depending on the design of your watch, you’ll also need to use some type of glue which will allow you to keep your design intact and will also allow you to add details if you wish. Before you put your watch together, ensure that all the pieces are lined up properly and that the screws are as tight as possible.

Final Thoughts

Making your own watch has never been easier with this new technology. If you love to customize the look of your watch to match your outfit and lifestyle, you can now do so with the help of a design software and a 3D printer. If you’re interested to find out what else you can do with a 3D printer, check out some of the numerous videos and tutorials online.