FUTUREWAVE’S BRACELET USES HAPTIC FEEDBACK TO REDUCE SCREEN TIME
Belgian design studio Futurewave has unveiled Arc, a silver bracelet conceived to remind its wearer when it might be time to look away from their phone. Rather than adding another screen to an already crowded collection of connected devices, the concept takes the form of a sculptural piece of jewelry that delivers a discreet vibration when phone use exceeds a previously established limit. Made from Argentium silver and designed to be worn like a traditional open torc, Arc explores an unusual proposition for wearable technology: doing less, rather than more.
The idea is deliberately straightforward. Through a portal accessed from the phone, users select a group of applications and establish a threshold, such as 30 minutes of uninterrupted screen attention. Once that limit is reached, the bracelet sends a gentle pulse through its structure and into the wrist. If the wearer continues using the phone, a second identical pulse follows before the device falls silent and begins a new interval. There are no notifications to dismiss, applications to block or statistics to review. According to Futurewave, the system keeps no usage history and requires neither an account nor a subscription.
ARC BRACELET COMBINES ORGANIC FORMS WITH ARGENTIUM SILVER
Beyond its digital function, Arc has been conceived as a piece of jewelry in its own right. Its silhouette draws from the ancient torc, an open metal collar or bracelet associated with European Iron Age cultures, while its rounded, interconnected volumes evoke anatomical and natural structures. References explored during development include rib cages, wishbones, hydroids and chains of seed pods. The result is a continuous, sculptural form that wraps around the wrist without a clasp, hinge or visible fastening mechanism. Its design is intentionally gender-neutral, placing the emphasis on material and form rather than conventional jewelry categories.
The bracelet is designed to be shell-cast in Argentium silver, an alloy chosen for the finished object’s premium character. Its development involved a series of 3D-printed form studies, evolving from simple circular bands to more elaborate beaded and lobed surfaces. Stainless steel and titanium prototypes were also produced as part of the exploration. Developed by Hugo Simon, Pierre Heuson, Joachim Froment and Futurewave, the selected design conceals its technological components within the flowing metal structure. The ambition is for Arc to remain visually and physically compelling even without its digital function.
HAPTIC TECHNOLOGY HIDES INSIDE FUTUREWAVE’S SCREEN-FREE JEWELRY
Inside the proposed architecture, a piezoelectric element generates the brief tactile signals, selected for its ability to produce a clearly defined pulse. An ONiO zero low-power microcontroller manages the connection with the phone through Bluetooth Low Energy, while a flexible circuit board follows the curvature of the bracelet. The design also incorporates a 25 mAh curved battery, charging circuitry and piezoelectric energy harvesting. None of these components are intended to be visible from the outside. With no display, sound or illuminated indicators, the bracelet communicates exclusively through touch, leaving the surrounding world to provide the visual entertainment.
The project also raises a question about the relationship between luxury objects and technological obsolescence. ‘Jewellery first, one gesture inside it, and nothing kept,’ explains Cédric de Bellefroid, co-founder and CEO of Futurewave. The studio imagines a product whose value does not entirely depend on the lifespan of its electronics: once the technology stops working, the silver bracelet can simply remain a bracelet. Revealed in September 2026, Arc is currently a concept that has undergone 3D printing and prototyping, with no announced production or launch date. For now, it offers a rather elegant contradiction: another connected object designed to help us disconnect.
project info:
name: Arc
designer: Hugo Simon, Pierre Heuson, Joachim Froment, Futurewave | @futurewave_design
location: Brussels, Belgium
The post futurewave’s arc silver bracelet politely tells you to put your phone down appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.