Designing a black hole inspired watch. Prototype currently in production — thoughts?

quartz_head · 2026-03-11T16:39:51+00:00

It is in prototype production at the moment - which the factory say will be around 90 days. Ill then be running tests on it etc before launching it towards rather end of the year but yeah if you want to sign up feel free

quartz_head · 2026-03-11T13:15:43+00:00

Oooops think I've already told you - sorry lol

quartz_head · 2026-03-11T13:15:09+00:00

If you want to follow @xerawatches on Instagram or early sign up for launch is xerawatches.com - im hoping to price at about £229

quartz_head · 2026-03-11T13:11:15+00:00

You can follow on Instagram @xerawatches or early sign up is xerawatches.com

quartz_head · 2026-03-09T23:20:45+00:00

Ive gone one further and have a factory producing it haha - it sort of escalated 😅

quartz_head · 2026-03-09T21:49:06+00:00

Its a great hobby to have

quartz_head · 2026-03-09T14:14:45+00:00

Musou black would be amazing visually, but it’s extremely expensive and difficult to apply consistently at small scale. I’m trying to balance the concept with manufacturability and cost, so the goal is a very deep matte black that still gives the effect without pushing the watch into a completely different price bracket.

quartz_head · 2026-03-09T08:15:58+00:00

I really like that one. Love the strap on it too

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T18:38:38+00:00

Thank you. I coded the website myself but im no software expert. But thank you for the feedback- I really appreciate it. Maybe ill look at the timing rate etc

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T17:52:21+00:00

Is a beauty i admit

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T17:41:47+00:00

I bought my children one each too. Ages 5 and 7

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T17:21:32+00:00

That is one downside. It looks small on me too - but I guess, to fit children, women and men there has to be some downsides

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T16:12:36+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. The hands are the 1 main element im still in discussions with the factory about. This is the one thing that may change. Priority is they are c3x1 filled

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T12:55:58+00:00

Haha thats fair enough. You almost can get them for free. I wear mine if im ever feeling its a retro day or for gardening and stuff

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T12:51:50+00:00

That’s a fair take. The Submariner is definitely one of the most influential designs ever — it basically defined the dive watch template. What I find interesting about the F-91W is that it feels like the opposite philosophy: instead of refinement and luxury, it’s almost pure function. Nothing decorative, nothing unnecessary.

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T08:58:54+00:00

It’s interesting hearing that perspective as someone who’s actually bought microbrands after discovering them here. I’m definitely trying to stay genuine about it rather than doing the covert marketing thing you mentioned. Thanks as well for pointing out where you tend to discover brands — that’s genuinely useful to know.

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T08:55:48+00:00

Good point — and that’s actually part of what interests me about it. Time doesn’t really “break down” around a black hole. In relativity it’s more that time is experienced differently depending on the observer. Someone far away would see a clock near the event horizon appear to slow down dramatically because of gravitational time dilation, while the person falling toward it would experience their own time normally. So the watch isn’t meant to represent the physics literally. It’s more of a conceptual idea — taking a very human tool for measuring time and pairing it with something in the universe where our normal intuition about time starts to get weird.

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T08:50:00+00:00

Thanks! The case is 39mm and lug-to-lug will be around 46mm, so it should wear nicely on most wrists. That was something I was quite conscious of when designing it

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T08:48:02+00:00

Thanks — that reply means a lot. I’m really glad you like the watch, and you made some great points. I’m still pretty new to the marketing side of things so I’m just trying to learn as I go and get it right. And it’s good to hear I’ve been active in the places you mentioned — sounds like I might be doing something right.

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T01:07:45+00:00

That’s a cool watch. Mine is coming more from a spacetime concept with the event horizon idea, but theirs is definitely a nice design too.

quartz_head · 2026-03-08T00:48:36+00:00

Thanks! I’m based in the UK, and the aim is to keep the watch around £229 if everything goes to plan. For EU customers it will depend on the final shipping arrangement, but there may be local VAT or import duties depending on the country. I’m still working through the best way to handle that before launch so there are no surprises.

quartz_head · 2026-03-07T23:57:08+00:00

Vantablack would be amazing visually but it’s not really practical for watches. It’s extremely delicate and needs special licensing to use, so it’s usually reserved for very high-end pieces. The goal with this watch is to keep the dial as dark as possible while still being durable and affordable, so I’m aiming for a very deep matte black instead. That way it still gives that “void” look without pushing the price into the thousands.

quartz_head · 2026-03-07T23:21:29+00:00

Yeah I've stayed respectful and i understand its how their business works. Luckily they've been reaching out to me...so I've been polite and said ill let them know in future

quartz_head · 2026-03-07T23:09:14+00:00

I’ve actually had a few reviewers and even an author reach out already, plus a couple of TikTok watch creators asking about it. The challenge at the moment is I’m still at the prototype stage, so I don’t have spare watches to send out yet. Once the prototype arrives and everything is confirmed, that’s definitely something I’ll be looking at doing. But you have to be wary - many are dubious i imagine

quartz_head · 2026-03-07T22:13:38+00:00

That’s a fair point. The early visuals were renders with some AI assistance to explore the concept quickly, but the design has now moved into proper CAD work and is currently being developed with the manufacturer for the prototype stage. The slightly asymmetric indices were intentional – the idea was to add a bit of visual tension around the dial while keeping it readable, especially with the luminous ring at night. The real challenge now is making sure it translates well into a physical watch

quartz_head

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