It looks like it was yesterday, but the Apple Watch is turning five today, April 24th. Since then, the accessory gained new functions, became more independent from the iPhone, and debuted features that can literally save lives, becoming the world’s best-selling watch.
To mark the date, several publications are recalling stories involving the smartwatch. But the designer Imran Chaudhri, one of the team members responsible for creating the watch, decided to share curiosities about the product design process with his Twitter followers.
here’s a reproduction of my original sketch for the home screen. the shape of the circular icon was driven by the clock that lived in the center of what i originally called the dock. the crown gave the home screen a dimensionality, allowing you to scrub through layers of the ui. pic.twitter.com/w2QITncvHl
– Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 24, 2020
Among them are initial sketches of the app screen (nicknamed by many as “Colmeia”). According to him, the Digital Crown it gave a dimension to the home screen, allowing users to scroll through the interface.
digital touch was originally called ET for electronic touch. i called it that for its potential as a new form of emotional connection.
the drawing “ink” was inspired by my graffiti days. the ephemera was designed to communicate transmission while making it guilt free. pic.twitter.com/FadGhf8ho9
– Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 24, 2020
One of the features that was never successful on Watch was the Digital Touch, which allows users to send drawings or even their heartbeat to their contacts. According to Imran, the technology was initially called ET (or Electronic Touch), as it is a new form of emotional connection.
my first prototype was built on a 6th gen nano strapped to this band. i had just wrapped up ios5 and took it down to show the ID team what notification center and siri was – and what it could be in the future. i never got to share it with steve. we lost him right after ios5. pic.twitter.com/j4JJYNIgIu
– Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 24, 2020
Perhaps one of the most curious points cited by the designer is the fact that the first prototype of the watch was built on a sixth generation iPod nano (which, at the time, was already used by many as a watch).
According to him, the idea shown to the team consisted of a device that would be a kind of notification center, with access to the personal assistant Siri. Finally, he regretted not having had time to share the idea with Steve Jobs.
i’ve always loved straps that were uncomplicated, the mechanism for the loop watchband was an evolution of velcro speedmaster straps worn by apollo astronauts. pic.twitter.com/8FLSRC1NrV
– Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 24, 2020
He also shared that he always liked simple bracelets, and that the mechanism for the loop bracelet was an evolution of the Velcro Speedmaster, used by astronauts on the Apollo mission.
the butterflies in the motion watch face were shot and animated by @zuckermanstudio. none were harmed, they had already passed. andrew just gave them life.
here’s the blue ? he lives with us now: pic.twitter.com/QDE8gORWDo
– Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 24, 2020
Other curiosities cited by the designer include the process of creating the “Movement” dial (in which real butterflies were used).
i created the solar watch face as a way for muslims observing ramadan to quickly see the position of the sun and for all to understand the sun’s relationship to time. #RamadanMubarak pic.twitter.com/4mcmIknqjm
– Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri) April 24, 2020
And the fact that the “Solar” dial was created by him so that Muslims could observe Ramadan, following the position of the sun throughout the day.
IFixit (a famous repair company that disassembles Apple products to reveal its interior) focused on showing the evolution of the product’s innards, in addition to remembering that the first generation of the watch scored a 5 out of 10 in the repairability score – citing the fact that the smart watch uses proprietary screws and welded connectors.
Finally, the HODINKEE (famous publication focused on mechanical watches – which has already interviewed Jony Ive) recalled the five generations of the Apple Watch, the impact on the traditional wristwatch industry, and Apple’s partnerships with brands like Nike and Hermès.
On an even more basic level, the Apple Watch caught the public’s attention on watches that far exceed anything else.
–Stephen Pulvirent, editing manager and operations director at HODINKEE
The fact is that, five years later, the Apple Watch went from being just an accessory to being a device with its own functions – which has become an important market for Apple, so much so that its size can already be compared to that of a company the size of Fortune 150.
Apple Watch Series 5
in Apple
Cash price: from R $ 3,599.10Installed price: up to 12x R $ 333.25Sizes: 40mm or 44mmMaterials: aluminum, stainless steel, titanium or ceramicFeatures: GPS or GPS + CellularColors: diverseLaunch: September 2019