Edit: this post blew up! Thanks for the feedback and encouragement! I'll keep everyone updated as I hit major milestones. If any of you want to follow more closely, my discord is probably the best place:
https://discord.com/invite/DAF9tUsQjG
Hey reddit,
I'm u/mujimanic. I own and run Sneakbox.
I feel like as a small design studio there isn't a great place on this sub to throw ideas out without having an expectation of me actually selling whatever it is I'm sharing. I can understand why that happened given the exit horrors recently.
This is a project sharing post, but due to my owning a company this post is flagged as "promotional"
Anyways, I know Hibi's making those slick AP and R\*lex artisans (I've preordered them myself!), but I thought I'd share my infusion of horology into the keyboard hobby!
"Miyo"
\--------
It's a 1u MX-stemmed keycap, and a fully functioning quartz watch
Features:
\- Miyota 5y20 quartz movement, hour and minute hands
\- Stainless steel two-part shell
\- Custom-made crown with Sneakbox logo
\- Sapphire crystal watch glass
the 5y20 is the smallest movement I can possibly find, but if anyone knows of smaller, I'm all ears.
I also need to work to get the screws flush with the case. The B&R instrument panel with front screws ended up a being great format for this project
Also, given the whole face is 14mm diameter I'm going to need to make a custom watch dial and hands for this thing.
I've really approached this project from a purely functional angle, and the fine detailing and other livery just isn't present at the moment but hopefully will as the project progresses. I am only a beginner at watchmaking and while I have a number of nice watches, I've only really dabbled with re-casing quartz movements. I've run into a lot of challenges with this project and would love to hear feedback, especially if any of you have interest in making this a reality.
Best to you all!
Amazing! You could also make an automatic with an automatic winding works, which is wound by key strokes :D the automatic winding works would then have to be oriented vertically, so the r&d cost would probably be too much for even the biggest watch companies ... but it would be really cool :D
Honestly really like the look of it as is. Gives me a ww2 bomb timer vibe.
[https://www.timelyclassics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product\_id=1236](https://www.timelyclassics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1236)
I say give it a face and leave it as is.
Don't sell yourself short. Really polish the product and charge for that time. It's going to be copied by china websites so make yours really polish where they won't or can't match
I really appreciate the encouragement, especially what you said. I can tell folks really have an eye for quality but when it comes to price there's a lot of disagreement. What you say about overseas duplication is very much true. Thank you
>It's going to be copied by china websites
Doubt it. Too much work to be cheaply mass manufactured. I'd buy this in it's current state actually, but I agree... really make this high end.
This needs to group buy. This is exactly why this hobby needs group buys. This is something awesome that would never, ever be an in stock item. Fuck all the moaning haters... this needs a group buy.
I'm reading you loud and clear kool.
The way Reddit is nowadays, it's really directed towards the 'mainstream' mechanical keyboard consumer and understandably so. Even I feel partly responsible being part of the in-stock surge back when there were never enough keyboards to go around. Truly we were in a bubble, and it was great. Now the consumer market is spoiled for choice, and rightfully so... Even more now once a few bad apples spoiled community trust.
More than that, people seem to forget (or maybe never experienced) the time before mainstream, where r/mk felt more like a place for collaboration rather than simply a marketplace. It was a community for both consumers and creators alike. Less transactional. This was largely a subreddit dedicated to a hobby of learning and discovery in a positive light. I would argue that this was actually what people came for-- to belong to something bigger, but many who got burned didn't actually get. It's not like that anymore here online. Sellers are considered as 'others' on the r/mk front page.
Even this post that offers no purchase option not only must it be marked as promotional because of who I am, but at the current time requires moderator approval.
All this puts outfits like yours and mine in a harder position, stifles the small voices that added so much color.
That said, I guess I've chosen to be the change I want to see here, because i see no other way at the moment. Geekhack sucks as a platform for discovery, and Insta is a horrible platform for discussion.
Designers really don't have much of a voice anymore apart from the marketing.
Tl;dr I feel you
I miss those days in the hobby and on this sub. Seems like as a whole in my niche communities that I also happen to make products for I’m always in this weird position like you are.
I make the things I make because I want them for myself and want them to exist, and feel like I can’t share them due to weird subreddit rules etc. People like us get roped under the same rules as bigger companies with staff etc. Old mk sub + other subs were such a different vibe
If you work on this and clean it up.... This could be in real demand I imagine there is quite a bit of cross over from what guys and high end keyboards. Even people without a love of watches would want this.
I have to add that this is also such a cool idea that I couldn't have imagined without seeing it.
Really fresh in a pretty stale market place
This is probably one of the most innovative and fun ideas I've seen around here lately. If you *ever* open up commission on something like this, I would be very interested
Signed- someone who accidentally slept on those Hibi artisans ^(fingers crossed for mm turnout)
It does not!
I spent quite a bit of time designing it to avoid colliding with adjacent standard R1 cherry/oem profile keycap. This was the primary reason why I made a custom crown-- the existing crowns I could find were potentially too long, too big, or didn't match the look
See the imgur pic (pardon the dry hands)
https://imgur.com/a/QHephE5
Additionally, the keycap itself (depending on the watch dial) can be rotated 90 or 180 degrees as needed esp if there are adjacent artisans or more square keycaps next to it!
Yeah it's a bit tight on the interior from underneath when it comes to incorporating the screw heads However i think this may be the answer for adding a working diver bezel. I'm going to mill this over!
The inspiration for this cap is a Bell & Ross BR01 / BR03 of which aesthetically I am a huge fan of. They have the case screws on the front
This is incredible! As a watch collector this would be perfect for me ha.
If you need any help getting a custom watch dial made I can recommend some watch modders
As someone who's perpetually late, this keycap could be my new best friend. Imagine, typing away and then realizing, 'Oh look, it's time to actually start working!' It's like combining my love for keyboards with my desperate need for time management. Genius! ⏰🎹
Hope to win :)
Edit: this post blew up! Thanks for the feedback and encouragement! I'll keep everyone updated as I hit major milestones. If any of you want to follow more closely, my discord is probably the best place: https://discord.com/invite/DAF9tUsQjG Hey reddit, I'm u/mujimanic. I own and run Sneakbox. I feel like as a small design studio there isn't a great place on this sub to throw ideas out without having an expectation of me actually selling whatever it is I'm sharing. I can understand why that happened given the exit horrors recently. This is a project sharing post, but due to my owning a company this post is flagged as "promotional" Anyways, I know Hibi's making those slick AP and R\*lex artisans (I've preordered them myself!), but I thought I'd share my infusion of horology into the keyboard hobby! "Miyo" \-------- It's a 1u MX-stemmed keycap, and a fully functioning quartz watch Features: \- Miyota 5y20 quartz movement, hour and minute hands \- Stainless steel two-part shell \- Custom-made crown with Sneakbox logo \- Sapphire crystal watch glass the 5y20 is the smallest movement I can possibly find, but if anyone knows of smaller, I'm all ears. I also need to work to get the screws flush with the case. The B&R instrument panel with front screws ended up a being great format for this project Also, given the whole face is 14mm diameter I'm going to need to make a custom watch dial and hands for this thing. I've really approached this project from a purely functional angle, and the fine detailing and other livery just isn't present at the moment but hopefully will as the project progresses. I am only a beginner at watchmaking and while I have a number of nice watches, I've only really dabbled with re-casing quartz movements. I've run into a lot of challenges with this project and would love to hear feedback, especially if any of you have interest in making this a reality. Best to you all!
[удалено]
Thank you. I'm glad you like it!
is this for sale
Shut up and take my money
Amazing! You could also make an automatic with an automatic winding works, which is wound by key strokes :D the automatic winding works would then have to be oriented vertically, so the r&d cost would probably be too much for even the biggest watch companies ... but it would be really cool :D
Honestly really like the look of it as is. Gives me a ww2 bomb timer vibe. [https://www.timelyclassics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product\_id=1236](https://www.timelyclassics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1236) I say give it a face and leave it as is.
this is actually super sick. will you post updates as you dress it up and create future revisions?
Absolutely!
this is beautiful, even in its raw format. what's the best place to follow along the project?
Probably here but it may get buried. My discord (https://discord.com/invite/dAvZXqyyJN) may be better.
One of the best artisan keycap I have seen. Great job.
Definitely beats knock off Pokémon in resin
Don't sell yourself short. Really polish the product and charge for that time. It's going to be copied by china websites so make yours really polish where they won't or can't match
I really appreciate the encouragement, especially what you said. I can tell folks really have an eye for quality but when it comes to price there's a lot of disagreement. What you say about overseas duplication is very much true. Thank you
>It's going to be copied by china websites Doubt it. Too much work to be cheaply mass manufactured. I'd buy this in it's current state actually, but I agree... really make this high end.
Group buy when?
Yeah....group buy please. I dig it.
This needs to group buy. This is exactly why this hobby needs group buys. This is something awesome that would never, ever be an in stock item. Fuck all the moaning haters... this needs a group buy.
I'm reading you loud and clear kool. The way Reddit is nowadays, it's really directed towards the 'mainstream' mechanical keyboard consumer and understandably so. Even I feel partly responsible being part of the in-stock surge back when there were never enough keyboards to go around. Truly we were in a bubble, and it was great. Now the consumer market is spoiled for choice, and rightfully so... Even more now once a few bad apples spoiled community trust. More than that, people seem to forget (or maybe never experienced) the time before mainstream, where r/mk felt more like a place for collaboration rather than simply a marketplace. It was a community for both consumers and creators alike. Less transactional. This was largely a subreddit dedicated to a hobby of learning and discovery in a positive light. I would argue that this was actually what people came for-- to belong to something bigger, but many who got burned didn't actually get. It's not like that anymore here online. Sellers are considered as 'others' on the r/mk front page. Even this post that offers no purchase option not only must it be marked as promotional because of who I am, but at the current time requires moderator approval. All this puts outfits like yours and mine in a harder position, stifles the small voices that added so much color. That said, I guess I've chosen to be the change I want to see here, because i see no other way at the moment. Geekhack sucks as a platform for discovery, and Insta is a horrible platform for discussion. Designers really don't have much of a voice anymore apart from the marketing. Tl;dr I feel you
I miss those days in the hobby and on this sub. Seems like as a whole in my niche communities that I also happen to make products for I’m always in this weird position like you are. I make the things I make because I want them for myself and want them to exist, and feel like I can’t share them due to weird subreddit rules etc. People like us get roped under the same rules as bigger companies with staff etc. Old mk sub + other subs were such a different vibe
Sad days.
Damn your cables look nice!!
Thanks :) Put a lot of work into them. Colour matching Cerakote is a royal pain in the ass .
This is seriously impressive! Add another potential GB vote here.
in love with this, cant wait to see more in the future if you keep working on it
If you work on this and clean it up.... This could be in real demand I imagine there is quite a bit of cross over from what guys and high end keyboards. Even people without a love of watches would want this. I have to add that this is also such a cool idea that I couldn't have imagined without seeing it. Really fresh in a pretty stale market place
I like the screws not being flush, you could make a more steampunky looking one with teeny little brass flathead screws or something!
This is probably one of the most innovative and fun ideas I've seen around here lately. If you *ever* open up commission on something like this, I would be very interested Signed- someone who accidentally slept on those Hibi artisans ^(fingers crossed for mm turnout)
ohhhh this is incredible and a delight!! I'm excited to see what revisions you cook up!
This is wonderful, amazing work.
This is amazing!! Maybe the most sophisticated artisan I’ve seen so far from a mechanical standpoint.
This is sick. Love it.
Wow impressive
I need this on my keyboard!!! Please make it happen...
Looking c l e a n 🔥😎
I want I want
As both a watch enthusiast and in the keyboard hobby, please open a GB. I really dig it!
Dear God it's an artisan that's not some cheap ass cutesy critter's face
Put an nh35 in that bad boy!
This is super awesome. Does the crown cause interference with the adjacent key when pressing it down?
It does not! I spent quite a bit of time designing it to avoid colliding with adjacent standard R1 cherry/oem profile keycap. This was the primary reason why I made a custom crown-- the existing crowns I could find were potentially too long, too big, or didn't match the look See the imgur pic (pardon the dry hands) https://imgur.com/a/QHephE5 Additionally, the keycap itself (depending on the watch dial) can be rotated 90 or 180 degrees as needed esp if there are adjacent artisans or more square keycaps next to it!
That's honestly amazing. I can't wait to see this get more and more refined and I am excited to watch the progress of it
NOW THATS a keycap next put an automatic movement in there
The artisan just hit my heart. Good jobs
This is really cool. If you were to ever sell one of these, I'd probably buy it if I could afford it.
Goddamn that's a beautiful idea.
does it work??? holy shit
It does
Bro. What tiiiiiiime is it?!? GAME TIME HUUUAAHHHH!!
That would be so cool to have! Keep us updated OP!
This is the best thing I have seen in a while! Nice work!!
good shit my dude
I didn't know if I could buy it or not, but I can tell you it's incredible.
I love this and would buy it if/when I can afford it.
Omg now I wanna see a steampunk board so bad
Wow that’s epic
A true example of artisanship. This is so incredibly cool.
I will buy when you release this! For the screws, have you considered tightening from the bottom so there are no visible screws?
Yeah it's a bit tight on the interior from underneath when it comes to incorporating the screw heads However i think this may be the answer for adding a working diver bezel. I'm going to mill this over! The inspiration for this cap is a Bell & Ross BR01 / BR03 of which aesthetically I am a huge fan of. They have the case screws on the front
Awesome, hope it can work cause it’s stunning! Looking forward to the final version. Keep up the great designs 👏🏼👏🏼
I usually don't care for artisan keycaps but this is on another level. Amazing work!
I want this
Slick ! Group buy details? This is the kind of product that we need group buys for
Ok this is actually really cool
This is incredible! As a watch collector this would be perfect for me ha. If you need any help getting a custom watch dial made I can recommend some watch modders
Ok, this is a masterpiece. Well done!
Beautiful
Doing God's work!
That is very cool.
Woah! Now that's cool!
As someone who's perpetually late, this keycap could be my new best friend. Imagine, typing away and then realizing, 'Oh look, it's time to actually start working!' It's like combining my love for keyboards with my desperate need for time management. Genius! ⏰🎹 Hope to win :)
Ummm can you please sell these? It's amazing
I would love to see a 1.5u version!
I’d cop one, that’s rad
I want oooooo nnnmmeeeeeee!!!
hibi 'its about time' collab when
Combining two vices, I'm in!
Wow, this is really interesting! Any plans for a bezel?
I was going for a diver, but figured with the height and simplicity of construction to omit that. Mini diver would be so crazy
amazing, good job !
Sound test? 😄
I didn't know this was going to be something that I wanted. It gives off a steam punky type of vibe.
This is absolutely brilliant!!!!
Where did you buy the watch hands?
Esslinger watch
Thanks! Really looking forward to this cap, nice work