3D-printed Apple Watch stand is Mac-tastic

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3D-printed-Apple-Watch-stand-Mac
Wait until you see the rest of it.
Photo: Erich Styger

Some intrepid makers have put their 3D printers to work making cool, retro-themed Apple Watch stands. Specifically, they’re creating ones shaped like Apple’s early, beloved desktop computers like the 128K.

It makes sense, really. The Apple Watch shows the time in big green letters when it’s on its side in Nightstand Mode, and green was basically the only color those monitors were capable of displaying. So that’s where these creators are taking their inspiration for some sweet places to hang their Apple Watches.

The picture below comes courtesy of Erich Styger, who posted his work on DZone:

3d-printed-apple-watch-charging-station by Erich Styger
You can almost hear the incredibly loud floppy drive.
Photo: Erich Styger

“One of the first machines I used for development many years ago was a classic Apple Macintosh computer,” Styger writes. “My days of development with Pascal and Modula-2 are long gone. But with the availability of 3D printers, I can print a Classic Mac! But, now it is not used for development: I use it to charge an Apple Watch.”

Styger adds that he printed the model bottom-to-top, but that was slow going because he had to build supports into the Apple Watch stand as he went. He suggests future versions will print the stand upside down and adds that he had to adjust the original templates slightly to accommodate a smaller 38-mm face.

“I’m learning as I go,” he says.

Some other creators are trying to turn their little replicas into a business. Etsy user RetroConnector (Charles Mangin) is selling his retro-styled Apple Watch stands for $50 each. The seller offers his wares in five colors (although who would choose anything but beige?), and you can even pick between three devices for your miniature: the Macintosh 128K, the SE, and the SE/30.

For even more insight, you can check out how Mangin’s tiny Macs are made in the video below.

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