Turn your Apple Watch into an alarm clock with this clever accessory

By Imad Khan
published

The NightWatch may just be the perfect morning accessory

NightWatch Apple Watch accessory
(Image credit: AGL | YouTube)

While the Apple Watch Series 6 is a handy accessory, and continues to rank at the top of our best smartwatches list, the small screen can be limiting at times — particularly when you're just waking up in the morning. But the NightWatch 2.0, an accessory currently available for $50, uses a magnifying orb that effectively turns the diminutive screen into a large and viewable bedside alarm clock. 

Not only does the NightWatch give groggy-eyed early risers a larger image, it also charges their Apple Watch while acting as an acoustic amplifier to ensure the chimes are audible. The tap-to-wake feature also works to show users the time. The magnifying orb is made of a single-piece of solid lucite, hand polished to a mirror finish. It's compatible with all Apple Watches — which would include the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7, we'd assume, since that wearable isn't expected to be a radical departure from its predecessors.

While the NightWatch is a cool accessory for your Apple Watch, it does go against the new ethos Apple is pushing with its wearable timepiece. After the full release of watchOS 8, Apple will encourage users to wear their Apple Watch when sleeping to log additional biometric data. Apple wants to give users the ability to share that data with their doctor or close family members to monitor their health. So, for some users, the NightWatch might not be the most ideal accessory. 

A respiratory rate feature is coming to watchOS 8 which will track a user's breathing overnight. It will also track how much time is spent in bed and what part of that time is used when sleeping. This data will be tied to the Health app on a user's iPhone to gather what can be done to increase a person's overall wellness. 

If you plan on recharging your Apple Watch while you sleep, then you can buy the NightWatch 2.0 right now for $50. It will start shipping this month. 

Imad Khan
Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.