[Neil Shah]

(04-10-2016, 11:23 AM)jateijeiro Wrote:  I find the clasp very weak. I think silicone pin will be broken sooner than later.

One of the earliest Fitbit's I used had a similar clasp mechanism and it never broke after 2 years of use.

[SpoYler]

I hope they will make another clasp to buy. This one looks to be good for a fitbit not for a 400$ watch...

[TarekZhort]

Personally I'm not completely sold on the clasp design. The rest of the update looks very promising and I'm very interested in the secret update this week.

Also marty999 made a great suggestion on kickstarter for an alternative clasp.

[jateijeiro]

(04-12-2016, 02:08 PM)TarekZhort Wrote:  Also marty999 made a great suggestion on kickstarter for an alternative clasp.

I agree! I think marty999's had a great idea!

[Bryanxst]

Great update and the design is looking sweet. But as a design arts professional I have to question the integrity of the clasp pin mechanism. All being well, in everyday use I can see this design functioning well as long as none of the strap parts or the pin itself are plastic. I've encountered many products where stress factors are under considered due to a basic naivety in material properties. I understand the Blocks team are using a silicone strap but is the pin silicone too?

The point at where the wrist facing plate becomes the rod part of the pin could be a suspect area in terms of stress through lateral stretching caused by tightening the strap around the wrist prior to or whilst inserting the bell-end of the mechanism into the adjustable retaining holes. Repeated securing and removing can over time stretch silicone and fracture plastic. Don't get me wrong, I like the silicone solution but feel that perhaps stronger material should be used on the pin plate and rod. I do however think the "bell-end" part of the pin mech' could stay silicone but wonder if the team has thought about the potential for peeling or chipping (as rubber or silicone is want to do.) of the material on hard surfaces or damage from finger/thumb nails when securing the strap.
Would the plate, rod and "bell-end" of the pin best be made in metal or an aircraft grade composite material with the plate end being capped in silicone between it and the skin? Or, possibly a secondary retaining pin or perpendicular grooved locating lines along the flexible strap ends.


This is not meant as a moan or a gripe but perhaps could be seen as a fresh pair of eyes looking in from outside the box. At the end of the day all I really want is a design that is fit for purpose and will keep the most expensive watch I have ever bought where it should be, on my wrist.

Anyway's design team, keep on Rocking the Blocks. You are doing a fine job.

After a 4th or 5th look at the images am I right in thinking that the clasp mech' is quite a dense or more rigid form of silicone or composite material?

[Bryanxst]

Is their any reason why a module cannot be used to complete the strap circle instead of a clasp per se?

[Levy Rivers]

I'm consistently amazed by the depth and quality of the product discussion we have regarding this watch. That said, Branxst describes his position quite well - convinced me. I have a GoBe calorie counting device that I wear daily which has a silicone band - the main problem I have is how tightly I have to wear it to register the HRM - I feel the same would be true for my Block watch. With Branxst's concern for "stress points" and the effects they will have on the clasp - I'd more discussion from the designers on how they envision the current design would perform from this point of questions.

[Alessandro G.]

(04-14-2016, 03:14 PM)Bryanxst Wrote:  Is their any reason why a module cannot be used to complete the strap circle instead of a clasp per se?

The strap is the only BLOCKS component to have two male connectors, so yes, it is the only one that can currently close a loop. Do I like the silicone clasp? Nope, I did not since the very beginning of the campaign, but I am willing to put up with it, as the team promised accurate tests about it durability and comfort. Still, as soon as someone (even myself) comes out with a non flexible clasp, I will get it immediately. I am just not used to flexible straps in general. The real issue for me with the current clasp is that it doesn't look very subtle, so wearing it on the side of my wrist, when I need its bottom to accomodate the extra battery module, might look a little awkward, which is why I asked the team on KS to provide some real life pictures of BLOCKS worn on a wrist as soon as they can.

[XSYLUS]

Hey BLOCKS Team, you mentioned the survey would go out allowing backers to make changes to their module selections. Will something similar be available for those of us who preordered? I imagine between now and before these start shipping there will likely be a few new modules to choose from.

Looking forward to seeing real photos of the available colors of the final product. I'm still leaning towards a gunmetal color but would still be great to see how the final units look.

Thanks for the awesome updates!

[Seyi Agboola]

(04-18-2016, 04:11 AM)XSYLUS Wrote:  Hey BLOCKS Team, you mentioned the survey would go out allowing backers to make changes to their module selections. Will something similar be available for those of us who preordered? I imagine between now and before these start shipping there will likely be a few new modules to choose from.

Looking forward to seeing real photos of the available colors of the final product. I'm still leaning towards a gunmetal color but would still be great to see how the final units look.

Thanks for the awesome updates!

Yes, pre-orders will receive something similar allowing for order adjustments. Thanks for your support