Here comes a DIY smartwatch project that is unlike any other we have come across so far. It is the DRM Watch 3 made by Drfailov that is being discussed here and it is unique in that it comes with a 2.7-inch Sharp Memory Display. That’s quite something when seen from the perspective of a smartwatch and will be occupying a lot of your wrist space. As seen in the image above, being large does not make the watch ungainly or bulky, as is the case with most DIY smartwatch projects.

For those who might not be familiar with the Sharp Memory-in-Pixel Displays, these are essentially LCD panels but have some of the best features of E Ink displays. That includes frugal battery requirements along with sunlight readability. The latter bit might not be as great as that of e-paper displays but is still good enough for effective use even in bright sunlit conditions. Drfailov is claiming the 450 mAh battery is good enough to last two weeks on a single charge.

Meanwhile, as Hackster.io mentioned, Drfailov also had to opt for an ingenious solution to make up for the lack of a backlight – an electroluminescent panel that he cut to match the size of the 2.7-inch Sharp Memory Display. Beneath the display and the backlight layer lies the PCB crammed with all the electronic bits needed for the functioning of the smartwatch. Prime among those is the ESP32-S2 microcontroller. Plus, there is also the provision to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi while the Bluetooth feature will let you connect to a smartphone.

Overall, the DRM Watch 3 is big but slim and it is this aspect that makes the watch look classy in spite of being quite oversized. You can add to the looks further by 3D printing a suitable enclosure. Maybe you might opt for a CNC machined metal enclosure which can provide the watch a more premium look.

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