EWatch, developed by Ewan Wills, is a programmable ESP32-S3 smartwatch with a 1.69-inch color touchscreen, 350mAh battery, vibration feedback and USB-C connectivity. The platform is offered as a bare PCB, self-assembly kit or complete watch, following more than five years of development.

The EWatch hardware is built around the ESP32-S3, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. As with other ESP32-based devices, the platform can be programmed through Arduino IDE, PlatformIO or ESP-IDF, with the project also listing support for C, C++, Python and Rust development.

ESP32-S3 block diagram

The main PCB measures 34 × 28mm and uses a two-layer ENIG-finished design. In addition to the display interface and USB-C port, the board provides I2C and UART connectivity for peripheral access. The complete watch adds a 350mAh battery, vibration motor, enclosure and standard 20mm replaceable strap.

According to the author, the project is intended to remain accessible at several software levels. Open-source drivers cover the display, touch interface, IMU, Bluetooth LE, charging system and sleep modes, allowing developers to work with higher-level APIs or access peripherals directly when more control is required.

EWatch PCB

Wills also positions EWatch as a platform for AI-assisted firmware development. In the project video, he demonstrates using existing drivers and project context with an LLM to generate additional watch applications, including stopwatch and timer functions, before flashing the resulting firmware to the device.

The current hardware follows several years of prototyping and multiple PCB revisions. Earlier versions used hand-wired hardware and breadboards before development moved to custom PCBs and eventually the present ESP32-S3 implementation.

EWatch kit

During development, much of the work focused on power management, including battery charging, voltage regulation, battery-level monitoring and a latching power circuit that allows the watch to turn itself off under software control. The current design also retains time while the main system is powered down.

EWatch demo

The video also demonstrates working touch input, Wi-Fi access-point functionality, charging, vibration feedback and time retention. Wills notes that beta testing has exposed some remaining issues around display connectors, enclosure tolerances and onboarding documentation, indicating that the product is still undergoing refinement.

EWatch

EEWatch Cloud is also planned as a browser-based environment for writing, compiling and flashing firmware without a local toolchain. The service is intended to include an AI assistant grounded in EWatch code, along with facilities for sharing or selling watch faces and applications.

Specifications listed for EWatch include:

• Processor:
  • Espressif ESP32-S3
• Display:
  • 1.69-inch full-color touchscreen
• Wireless:
  • Wi-Fi, BLE
• I/O:
  • I2C, UART
• Sensors and feedback:
  • IMU
  • Vibration motor
• USB:
  • USB-C
• Power:
  • 350mAh battery
  • Battery-level sensing
  • Charging circuitry
  • Latching power button
• Mechanical:
  • 34 × 28mm PCB
  • 2-layer PCB with ENIG finish
  • Standard 20mm replaceable watch strap

Further Information

EWatch is offered in three configurations. The bare PCB with touchscreen is priced at £59, while the self-assembly kit adds the battery, vibration motor, strap and enclosure CAD files for £99. The fully assembled and pre-flashed watch is priced at £129.