Project Horae

A miniaturized successor to Watchy, the open-source ESP32 e-paper watch. It's rebuilt as thin as possible, in a slim band form factor (think Fitbit Charge, not a square).

Build log: projecthorae.com

Build one

• ORDER.md: the JLCPCB order (files and every order-form setting), the shopping list with Canadian sources, and the totals
• ASSEMBLY.md: printing, a test-print checklist, bench bring-up, assembly, the dock wiring, and the firmware rules the hardware depends on
• hardware/README.md: the board design, the pre-order review, what to verify at bring-up, and the cost

Research

• Displays: bar-shaped e-paper and memory LCD panels
• Batteries: thin LiPo, sodium-ion reality check, power budget
• Electronics: EDA tools, fabs shipping to Vancouver, key ICs
• CAD & printing: code-CAD and the headless Bambu A1 mini pipeline
• Prototype v0: breadboard kit, steps, charging
• Build plan, rev A: custom board straight away, order → solder → firmware → case → wear

3D explorer

The landing page's interactive model (explorer/) is generated from the case CAD and the KiCad board: .venv/bin/python cad/web.py (needs Docker for KiCad and npx for gltf-transform). Re-run it after changing the CAD or the board.

Printing (Bambu A1 mini, 0.4 nozzle, one filament per job)

• cad/out/plates/petg.3mf: both shells plus the dock's tray and lid, in PETG Basic or Matte. Use 0.1 mm layers and a 0.1 mm first layer (it is the skin over the watch's magnets), no supports.
• cad/out/plates/tpu.3mf: every seal and cushion plus the dock's grip pad, in TPU 90A (not 95A: twice as stiff) from the external spool, printed slowly. Give the bezel gasket 0.08 mm layers.
• Carbon-fibre version: print petg-cf.3mf (PETG-CF, hardened nozzle) and petg-cf-set.3mf (the colour-matched PETG parts) instead of petg.3mf.
• Per-part notes (orientation, layer heights, squeeze) are in PRINT in cad/horae.py, and a full .venv/bin/python cad/horae.py run prints them.

Adding a timeline entry

The timeline is newest first. Add a new <li class="entry"> block at the top of the <ol class="timeline"> in index.html, and put its photos in media/YYYY-MM-DD/.