Armillary Sphere

A great antique armillary sphere, seen straight on, is the whole dial: interlocking rings of polished gold and aged bronze, carved in low relief with castles, towers, suns and beasts, round a small glowing sun at its heart. The sun sits on the pivot and the gold hands turn from beneath it.

The hours on the outer ring

The outermost ring carries the hours. Keep its twelve engraved bars, or have Roman or Arabic numerals engraved into the gold.

Every hour, the sphere turns

As the hour turns, the inner rings swing through a slow partial turn and back, as if the sphere were moving in its frame, while the sun at its heart flares with light. Tap the watch face to set it turning whenever you like.

Three metals

• Gold.
• Bronze.
• Silver (the sun stays gold).

Readings on bronze medallions

Steps, unread notifications and battery, each engraved on an aged bronze medallion fixed on the sphere at 9, 3 and 6 o'clock, with the date on a fourth at 12. Put another app's complication there and it shows that app's icon and value; set a slot to Empty and its medallion goes, leaving the bare rings.

Readable at a glance

The gold hands carry a dark edge and a soft dark halo, so they stand out on the gold rings and on the black alike.

Easy on the battery

Nothing moves faster than the hands; the turning rings and the flare play only on a tap and on the hour. Always-on shows the hour marks, the hands and a fine line of the ring, dim on black.

Make it yours

• Metal: gold, bronze or silver.
• Hour marks: engraved bars, Roman or Arabic numerals.
• Three complications.

To customize, touch and hold the watch face, then tap Customize.

Works on watches with Wear OS 6 or later. Made in Watch Face Format: nothing to install on your phone, no permissions, no data collected.

Part of Tempus Arcanum, a collection of watch faces.