Hyalus watch build
Designed and prototyped a dive watch, then launched it on Kickstarter as a forcing function for follow-through and spec discipline.
Context
Hyalus is my product venture. I designed and prototyped a dive watch, then launched it on Kickstarter.
It is a personal project with no external deadlines, which makes follow-through the real test.
Physical builds punish unclear specs and fuzzy acceptance criteria, so documentation and iteration mattered as much as design.
What I owned
- Modeled the watch and iterated toward manufacturable, wearable decisions.
- Coordinated suppliers for components, finish options, and tolerances.
- Treated drawings, part lists, and acceptance criteria as deliverables, not supporting material.
- Tested like a user by wearing it, looking for failure modes, and revising the next iteration.
Constraints and complexity
- No external deadlines and no built-in accountability beyond the artifact itself.
- Physical tolerances where small changes compound into downstream assembly issues.
- Subjective fit and finish that must be made concrete with simple checks and photos.
Results
- Built a working prototype and a documented spec that could be critiqued, improved, and repeated.
- Created a visible artifact that made taste, tradeoffs, and follow-through concrete.
- Carried the same spec discipline back into professional work where ambiguity creates rework.
What I learned
- Small decisions compound, especially when tolerances and handoffs stack.
- Clarity creates speed because good defaults reduce back-and-forth and rework.
- Taste is a skill earned through iteration, not a vibe statement.
Gallery
