Trolex - the 3D printed working wrist watch

Trolex - the 3D printed working wrist watch

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Print Profile(6)

All
A1 mini
P1S
P1P
X1
X1 Carbon
X1E
A1

Case and Buckle
Case and Buckle
Designer
1.3 h
1 plate
4.8(5)

Dial, Hands and Case back
Dial, Hands and Case back
Designer
44 min
2 plates
5.0(5)

Solid Wristband [for PLA & others]
Solid Wristband [for PLA & others]
Designer
55 min
1 plate
5.0(4)

TPU watchband
TPU watchband
Designer
33 min
1 plate
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Open in Bambu Studio
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Released

Description

Introducing the Trolex, a 3D printed working watch powered by a Miyota 2035 Quartz movement. Shock your watch-collector friends with a custom piece that will certainly attract their interest!

With its 41.3mm size, this timepiece can adapt to most wrists and for all the occasions provided you use filaments that suit your taste. It is fully working and relatively easy to put together.

Create your own personal wristwatch and show the world your style! Now, I also added a custom text version of the dial for your special messages.

 

 

Important notes:


Dial, hands and back case require a 0.2mm nozzle. The other pieces can also be done with 0.4mm nozzle, to allow more filament options (e.g. marble, sparkle, etc.) but would benefit from a 0.2 nozzle for higher quality.

 

To work the watch requires a Miyota 2035 quartz movement, which is easy to find online and fairly cheap, but could be adapted to other movements by creating a custom inner movement holder. 

I got 5 for 9£ from Aliexpress here: 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006170752556.html

 

I do not own an AMS, so the watch is designed to be printed without one, for multi-color dial there is a pause set at the start of the 14th layer and change filament. If you do not want to change filament you will have to resume print to finish it, or remove the pause before slicing the plate. 

 

There are now two options for the wristband: flexible to be made with TPU (as in the cover picture) and rigid for any other filament.

The rigid version is made up of pieces that need spare filament wire to be held together. This allows to adjust size by removing or adding more pieces.

 

Needless to say the hands are the hardest part to get right and might require a few print (I am still working on a more reliable version of these). For reliability I would recommend buying the hands if you actually plan to use this watch as I do not know how long the 3d printed hands will last or keep the time. The second hands was too small even for the 0.2 mm nozzle.

 

I printed it using a smooth PEI plate, I have not tested it yet on other plates, particularly for hands and back cover which have designs on the bottom surface.

 

Building instructions:

I am planning to produce a dedicated video on how to build it, in the meantime the Fusion360 scheme shows more or less where each piece should go.

  1. Place the movement in the holder, snap the dial in place over it and insert it into the main case;
  2. Push in place the back case and force the spacer ring over the dial to secure the movement in place, then add the top ring;
  3. Attach the wristband pieces using spare filament, the holes have a tight fit so it is best to use some pliers to help pushing the filament through;
  4. Insert the stem on the movement, pull it into time-set position then screw the crown in from outside the case. (Leave enough play to allow the stem to be pushed in into normal position). Use some super glue here to fix the crown on the stem.
  5. Set the watch into the time-set position;
  6. Finally use some precision tweezers to push the hands in place carefully. It is not easy and might require some attempts and patience;
  7. Turn the crown to check the hands are moving correcly and freely;
  8. Wear it proudly!

Comment & Rating (46)

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is this the movement peice and can you add a link to it thx
(Edited)
The designer has replied
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Yes
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Replying to @alesilver91 :
thanks
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Ich habe zu Weihnachten auch mal eine Uhr entworfen, allerdings mit Glas und auch mit einer 0.4er Düse druckbar.
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cool!
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Print Profile
All Pieces [for overview]
Printed Great I even got to use glow in the dark filament, I will upload a new pic once the parts arrive :)
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Print Profile
Custom text dial
always wanted a (t)rolex :D Great Design
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This looks like a lot of fun to print. Have you considered adding space for a cheap watch crystal to protect the face and hands?
The designer has replied
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very interesting upgrade
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that is a nice idea, I think it is doable just changing the top ring. Will have a look at it.
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Replying to @alesilver91 :
Fantastic! There are quite a few cheap mineral crystal options out there, ranging from one to a few millimeters thick. Adding a crystal would really make this look even more finished and protected. I'm fairly sure I'd accidentally destroy the hands and face in a day or so without a crystal. I'm really looking forward to making a few of these with different colors.
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can you explain how to get the hands to actually stay in place? or could you suggest/link some premade hands that can be bought?
The designer has replied
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Hi, they should fit snuggly on the movement, the minute hand is the more tricky one, in some cases giving a little squeeze with some tweezers to bend the hole makes it more stable. For a more durable solution I would purchase the hands. You should look for 120/70/17 hands or Miyota 2035 hands.
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This is great. I have printed the Solid watch band and am having a little trouble figuring out the clasp assembly. Could you post a picture of how it is assembled. Thanks
The designer has replied
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Thanks for the quick reply and updated/new images.
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hi yes, just added a couple of images, make sure you have all the pieces yesterday I realised the first print profile I uploaded had one of the pieces outside the plate, but the current one is correct
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Would you be willing/able to upload a version of the face without the words or one that has customizable text in MakerWorld so that is could be used as a gift?
The designer has replied
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Hi, thanks for the suggestion, it was actually on my to do list. I just uploaded a "custom text" version of the dial. To edit or remove the text just move to the object view on the left side and edit the two text.
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Replying to @alesilver91 :
thank you so much!!!
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hello! nice project, i can't see in the project the dials top design, they seems flat. Also the back case, doesn't fits in to the case, is think that is not necessary to glue?
The designer has replied
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Hi, thanks for the interest in this project and the feedback. Are you using a 0.2 mm nozzle with 0.06 layer height? With these parameters the last 4 layers should print the design. Be carefull that I set a pause at layer 14 to allow changing filament and complete the dial with a different color, you should press "Resume" if you do not want to change filament. The couple of back cases I printed all snap into the case correctly, make sure to align the 4 pins in the case with the gaps in the back case. I will be printing more watches in the following days and check if I get the same issues as you do. (I used a smooth PEI plate so far so I will test if there is any issue printing with the normal plate).
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Replying to @alesilver91 :
thanks I printed with 0.4 , I’m waiting for the 0.2 . I use textured pei
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hello! how did you print the glow dial ? i see bambu glow pla not allowed with 0.2 nozzle
The designer has replied
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Yeah well I took the risk. 😅 Maybe I just got lucky not to clog the nozzle, but it printed flawlessly.
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