Have you ever watched a James Bond movie? Who are we kidding, everyone has watched a James Bond movie at some point, right? Among all the gadgets agent 007 uses, there’s always a watch that’s a lot more than a watch. Yes, it tells the time, but it also does a host of other things, and such devices have started to become known by the name “spy watch”. Here’s the list of the top spy watch in the market nowadays!
Now, today’s variant of a spy watch is often a watch that has some kind of built-in camera inside. It allows you to record footage when you leave it somewhere, as well as record audio whenever you want to. And while you can buy a spy watch if you want to, you can also go with a DIY variant. Now, let’s be honest, there’s a big chance that you won’t be able to hide a camera inside your watch, but you can still make it do a thing or two extra that might come in handy.
That being said, there are two ways you can make a spy watch yourself. The first one is going to leave you with a non-functioning watch and little room for items, while the other one will still give you a functional watch, but is actually pretty massive. Which one you go for is up to you, so let’s take a look at both options.
Option 1: The compact variant
Our first option starts off with a cheap analog watch. Considering that you’ll pretty much destroy the working mechanisms, don’t spend too much on one, and don’t use one that you already have for this. Get the cheapest analog watch you can find. And no, don’t get a digital watch, because once you remove the internals you’ll be left with a black screen that’s somewhat suspicious. (1)
Start by removing the back of the watch. This is done with a small screwdriver, and you should lever the back out while keeping the watch face down. This will help you avoid spilling all the internal pieces. Note that if there are any screws holding the back in place, you should unscrew them before you remove it. Set them aside so you don’t lose them.
In order to place anything larger than a piece of paper inside the watch, you’ll want to remove the internal mechanisms. This will allow you to get a bit more room, but note that you’ll still be pretty limited. Make sure you leave the watch hands and the watch face in place, you’ll need them.
Once you’ve removed all the internals, you should glue the watch face and the hands in place. Leave them inside and place them so the watch looks unassuming on the outside. You might need to use a toothpick that you can dab in white glue in order to achieve this. Make sure that you don’t have glue showing on the outside, or on the face side, because you don’t want people to know this is more than a watch.
Lastly, reattach the back. You can place whatever you want inside, as long as it fits in the limited space. If you want to make the compartment accessible again without needing a screwdriver, you can put a piece of tape between the back and the edge. This will allow you to pull on the tape in order to remove the edge.
While you won’t be able to fit too many things inside, at the end of the day, whoever looks at your watch will see just that – a conventional analog watch. On the other hand, with the other option, you’ll get a massive thing that’s pretty obvious it’s more than a watch. Let’s take a look at it for a moment.
Option 2: The more functional variant
You can do this with any type of watch, but it’s best that you choose a cheap wristwatch because you might damage it in the process. You’ll want to remove the straps, something that’s much more easily done with a watch that allows you to do so with quick remove bands. All you will need to do is pull on the clips and they’ll be out in no time.
Then, you’ll want to create the container. This is basically done by grabbing two bottle caps of the same size, that are more or less the same size as your watch face. You can use a piece of duct tape and tape them together on one side. You could go with shallow bottle caps that are less noticeable, but that will limit you in terms of space. With larger caps, things will be more obvious, but they do fit more things inside.
Next, you should attach the caps to the watch. This is done pretty easily with double-sided tape, and you can remove them if you want to afterward. This also makes sure you don’t tape the two caps together so you can still open them.
Last but not least, reinsert the watch straps. There you go, a watch that allows you to hide items inside and carry them on your wrist. Not exactly the James Bond watch you were after, but you can still buy something similar. (2)
Which one should you go for?
Neither of the two options above is ideal. However, that’s simply due to the fact that a watch is just too small for you to be able to carry anything useful in it without it being too obvious. If you are looking for a wearable spy camera check our spy button here.
That being said, if you don’t need to carry something large, you could go with the first method and still be as inconspicuous as possible. If you do need something larger, the second method might work a lot better for you. Note, though, that it’s going to be obvious that something is happening with your watch – it’s a touch too big to hide. If you don’t mind that, you should be good to go.
You may want to check our guide for the best women’s spy watch, and you may also check this spy watch instructions how to use guide. Until next time!
References
(1) analog watch – https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/analog-clock-or-watch.html
(2) James Bond watch – https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/watches/article/james-bond-watch-collection