escapement.watch
The modern toolkit for serious mechanical watch collectors.
A full-featured web application born from a personal obsession with mechanical horology — combining WebXR augmented reality, phone-based audio signal processing for timing accuracy, interactive 3D movement assembly, marketplace intelligence, and a 51-reference encyclopedia. The same engineer who builds your platform built this one for himself.
Live site — escapement.watch51
References catalogued
±0.5s/day
Timing precision
7 modules
Platform features
WebXR + DSP
Browser-native
1 engineer
Built by
escapement.watch
Live at
The Problem
What they were dealing with
The serious mechanical watch collector has nowhere online that treats the hobby with real technical depth. Forums run on speculation. Dealer sites exist to sell. YouTube is entertainment, not diagnostics. There's no single tool that lets you try a reference on your wrist before buying, measure your watch's accuracy without a $500 timing machine, understand the escapement mechanism inside a specific caliber, track your collection with proper service records, or read long-form horological writing that doesn't talk down to you. The gap wasn't a niche — it was the entire category.
The Solution
What we built
Built escapement.watch as a personal project to solve the problem for myself — then held it to production standard because anything less would have been a waste of the technology. The result: WebXR-powered AR try-on of 51 references directly in the browser with no app required, audio signal processing through the phone microphone that replicates what a timing machine does, interactive 3D disassembly of real calibers with factory-spec geometry, a normalized marketplace feed with condition grading and seller-risk scoring, a 51-reference encyclopedia built from primary sources, an encrypted private collection vault, and a Collector's Journal for the long-form horological writing the hobby has always deserved.
The Build
See it in action
Feature Deep Dive
Everything under the hood
AR Try-On (WebXR)
- Point your phone at your wrist — any of 51 references rendered in real time
- WebXR + device camera access, no app download or ARKit required
- Scale-accurate case diameter and lug-to-lug rendering per reference
- Toggle between references without leaving the camera view
- Works on iOS Safari and Android Chrome — broadest possible browser support
Signal Processing Timegrapher
- Audio captured through the phone microphone via Web Audio API
- FFT analysis isolates the tick-tock impulse from ambient noise
- Measures beat rate (BPH), rate deviation (±s/day), and beat error
- Compares reading against manufacturer spec for the detected caliber
- Same measurement principles as professional timing machines — no hardware needed
Movement Lab (3D Interactive)
- Interactive disassembly and reassembly of real watch calibers via Three.js
- Factory-spec 3D geometry: mainspring, barrel, gear train, escapement, keyless works
- Annotated component labels with function descriptions
- Exploded-view mode to understand spatial relationships between parts
- Caliber-specific builds — not generic watch diagrams
Marketplace Intelligence
- Normalized listings across multiple dealer sources
- Condition grading system (Mint, Excellent, Good, Fair) standardized across sources
- Full-set and box-papers flags surfaced per listing
- Seller-risk scoring based on listing history and pricing patterns
- Daily FX conversion for international listings
Watchpedia Encyclopedia
- 51 reference entries covering specifications, movement details, and history
- Caliber cross-reference — which movements share architecture across brands
- Buying advice and common service intervals per reference
- Verified from primary sources — not forum-aggregated speculation
- Linked to AR try-on, marketplace listings, and Movement Lab entries
Watch Vault & Collector's Journal
- Private encrypted collection tracker per user account
- Service history log with date, watchmaker, and work performed
- Wear frequency and condition tracking over time
- Photo storage and insurance-ready records export
- Collector's Journal: long-form essays on escapement mechanics, accuracy, and the craft behind each caliber
The Results
What changed
51
References catalogued
Each with full specs, movement data, AR model, marketplace feed, and buying guide
±0.5s/day
Timing precision
Phone microphone signal processing matches professional timing machine output
7 modules
Platform features
AR, Timegrapher, Movement Lab, Marketplace, Watchpedia, Vault, Journal — one coherent app
WebXR + DSP
Browser-native
Augmented reality and digital signal processing with no native app, no hardware required
1 engineer
Built by
Personal projects show what someone builds when there's no client to limit scope
escapement.watch
Live at
Production deployment on Docker + Caddy — always on, always current
The Stack
Built with production-grade tools
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Want a platform built with this much care?
escapement.watch is what happens when an engineer builds for himself. Your platform gets the same attention — built by the same person, production-grade from day one.