Nerdpunk Apple Watch Case + Strap Feels Like Something Teenage Engineering Would Make

Exposed electronics, a nerdy-meets-cyber aesthetic – surely you must think this is one of Teenage Engineering’s latest projects, but nay. It is, in fact, from Japan-based Hachisanmaru, also the force behind the NIXOID watch from back in 2021.

Dubbed the ‘Protect A’, this custom case and strap combination make the Apple Watch look quite unlike anything you’ve seen before. It looks hacked together, like something you’d find in the game Watch Dogs or on a hacker Reddit thread. Underneath that nerdy exterior, however, sits a standard Apple Watch, doing the same old same old, like tracking your steps, sending you notifications, and being your personal handheld assistant.

Designer: hachisanmaru

The Protect A guards your watch with a fairly chunky stainless steel housing that turns your sleek watch into a gadget-core device with thick bezels and a rugged design that still feels light on your wrist. The cover-case is adapted to fit the 40mm as well as the 44mm model of the Apple Watch, with an external crown that works in conjunction with the Watch’s own rotating crown. Meanwhile, the underside still exposes the sensors that enable all the Watch’s heath functions and its charging feature.

The case comes in two colors – silver and anodized black, as do the straps, which boast mono and colored variants. Each strap comes with faux circuitry parts, like wires, resistors, transistors, actuators, etc., designed to make the strap look like a part of the watch’s kooky mechanics. The elements are embedded into a leather strap, looking fairly MacGyvered together in a way that would please any nerd but might piss off the TSA at an airport. No seriously, maybe avoid wearing this around security personnel if you don’t want to get stared at or questioned!

The ultimate goal of the Protect A is to house and guard your watch, which this case/strap duo does fairly well. The Protect A starts at roughly $70 USD, which might pinch at first, but not after you realize that you’re literally getting a stainless steel case and strap together. If, however, you don’t like the idea of cladding your Apple Watch with chunky accessories, hachisanmaru also sells its nixie tube watch as a much more holistic retro-inspired wearable.