BONK Tempo Development Journal: Watchband Prototype Breakthrough

This past week we had the opportunity to field test three brand-new BONK Tempo watchband prototypes.

These watchbands were professionally designed and manufactured by our engineering partners after months of collaboration, countless design revisions, and numerous 3D-printed prototypes. Every iteration brought us one step closer to a solution that felt simple, functional, and ready for real golfers.

From the very beginning, one of our biggest design goals was versatility.

We didn't want BONK Tempo to be limited to a single use case. We wanted golfers to have the freedom to wear it either on their wrist as a watchband or attach it directly to the bill of their BONK hat. The transition between the two needed to be quick, intuitive, and convenient.

The first test was all about durability.

Would the device remain securely attached to the magnetic watchband cradle during normal use?

I'm happy to report that all three prototypes passed with flying colors. The magnetic retention was incredibly strong, and throughout testing, none of the devices detached from the watchband.

Unfortunately, solving one problem revealed another.

Although the magnet held the device securely, it also allowed BONK Tempo to rotate on the magnetic base. That became a problem whenever you tried to operate the power switch. Instead of the switch moving, the entire device would rotate with it, making it difficult to turn on or off.

Another engineering problem.

How do you keep the convenience of a magnetic attachment while preventing the device from rotating?

During our engineering meeting this past Wednesday, one possible solution was proposed.

Instead of relying solely on the magnetic connection, we discussed redesigning both the bottom of BONK Tempo and the watchband cradle with matching ribbed surfaces. The ribs would mechanically lock together, preventing any rotation while still allowing the device to be removed when needed.

It was an interesting idea.

But as anyone involved in product development knows...

Every time you solve one problem, another one usually appears.

To evaluate the ribbed concept, I removed the existing Velcro ring from the bottom of BONK Tempo to see how the device would behave on our patented hat magnet.

Engineering's concern proved to be correct.

Without the Velcro ring surrounding the magnet, the device no longer held securely enough on the hat. That immediately introduced a much bigger issue. The hat mount is one of BONK Tempo's defining features, and compromising that simply wasn't an option.

At that point, redesigning the device around a completely new ribbed base suddenly felt like an unnecessary risk.

Then it hit me.

Instead of redesigning the entire product...

Why not simply add another Velcro ring around the magnet inside the watchband cradle?

That way, the existing BONK Tempo design would remain completely unchanged while the cradle itself would provide the additional friction needed to stop the device from rotating.

It took only a few minutes to test.

Boom.

It worked.

We salvaged three Velcro rings from damaged BONK Tempo prototypes and carefully glued them around the magnets inside each watchband cradle.

The results exceeded expectations.

The devices remained firmly locked in place, the power switch could now be operated easily without the device rotating, and the watchbands were comfortable, secure, and surprisingly natural to wear.

Even better...

Nothing about the existing BONK Tempo design needed to change.

Sometimes the best engineering solution isn't the most complicated one.

It's the simplest one.

Our next step is to integrate the Velcro ring directly into the production watchband cradle so it works seamlessly with every existing BONK Tempo device.

With that challenge behind us, we're officially moving on to the next milestone...

Receiving the very first manufactured BONK Tempo production prototypes.

Every week brings us one step closer.