The Heartbeat: A Unique Camera Powered by Watch Movements

When you think of a camera inside a watch, you are probably thinking about something you would see in a James Bond film — a high-tech watch with a tiny camera installed in it. But what about reversing that and putting watch parts in a camera? While this doesn’t have quite the spy-appeal of a wrist watch with a camera in it, it’s still quite an interesting concept.

Recently, the concept has been made into reality. Made by photographer and designer Kwanghun Hyun, the Heartbeat is a custom-made camera that integrates the timing mechanism found in watches into its brilliant design. The result is a camera with shutter speeds regulated by the watch mechanism. The unique design and integration of watch parts makes for a fully functional camera that takes great pictures.

The Heartbeat is a pinhole camera, meaning that it uses a tiny hole that lets light in instead of using an actual lens. With the movement of the watch regulating the shutter speed, the result is better-looking photos. In addition to taking quality photos, another cool thing about this camera is that you can actually see the watch mechanism, since it’s enclosed in the top of the camera with a clear cover.

Function is only half of the story with this camera. The other half is style. The steel finish and the exposed interior parts of the camera make for both a unique and elegant look. Pictures of this new camera show steel finishes of both gold and silver colors, both of which are quite attractive.

The Heartbeat is a camera that will definitely turn heads and get people curious because of its completely unique design. And who knows, it might even become a fashion statement to use one because of that interesting, stylish design as well as the appealing steel finish.