An easily repairable smartwatch could be in your future. This concept proves it

with Right to repair legislation With its rollout worldwide, now has never been a better time for companies that make our technology to prioritize self-healing features in their design processes.

The larger the device, the easier it is to do this. takes Lenovo ThinkPadFor example. to last few yearsThe company worked with iFixit to ensure its laptops were easy to repair. But tech companies want us to believe that it’s harder to make smaller devices, like smartwatches and other wearables, repairable at home.

in Consumer Electronics Show 2026I saw a smartwatch concept design from Cambridge Consultants, a British deep-tech research firm, that proved that wrong. Not only was the device repairable by the user, but it was done so without compromising the design or user experience. The company refers to the proof of concept as “Ouroboros.” The idea is to challenge established technology companies to improve their sustainability and longevity of their products, while showing that it is in their commercial interest to do so.

“Consumers expect more from brands when it comes to sustainability,” said Matt White, head of sustainable design at Cambridge Consulting.

Repairability plays an important role in sustainability. The longer we can keep technology around – whether through refurbishment or repair – the less likely it is to contribute to the world’s growing piles of e-waste, and the less need to extract new minerals to produce new technology.

To engineer the Ouroboros concept, Cambridge Consultants used a Garmin Fenix ​​7 as a reference product, “to make sure we didn’t stray too far from the concepts,” White said (although he noted that this was not an official collaboration).

The team redesigned the inside of the watch to ensure the battery can be accessed and removed directly under the back cover. A hinge mechanism was then added to the back of the watch that would make it easier to open while maintaining waterproofing, something White said is crucial for wearables.

Ouroboros’ design should make it easier for people to replace the battery themselves, but if they need to send it in for more complex repairs, a series of test pins placed directly below the battery will make it easier for someone repairing the smartwatch to sort out issues without having to take everything apart.

Some wearables manufacturers are starting to take sustainable and salvageable design seriously – notably Google with its latest products pixel watch 4 – but it’s still far from the mainstream. However, the tides are turning, and as we can see from the Ouroboros concept, it is becoming increasingly difficult for tech companies to justify not joining in.