7 days free on every face · one-time code · no subscription
DIALFORGE
Big Digits

7-day free trial, then a one-time 3.99 EUR unlock code at dialforge.dev. No subscription.

Big Digits is for reading the time without effort. Thick digits across the whole width of the screen, weekday and date in large letters, steps and battery in the same big type. Nothing small to squint at.

What you get

  • Time across the full width of the screen in thick, wide digits
  • Weekday and date in large bold letters
  • Battery in the round subscreen, with seconds above it while the watch is awake
  • Step count in large type at the bottom
  • Second layout: digits cut out of a solid band, for even more contrast
  • No seconds in low power mode, so the face redraws once a minute
  • Dark or light background, 12 or 24 hour format

Settings

In Garmin Connect (phone): layout, time format, seconds, light background, unlock code.

Compatible watches

Instinct 2, 2S, 2X Solar, Instinct 3 Solar 45/50 mm, Instinct E 40/45 mm, Instinct Crossover, Descent G1.

Trial and unlock

Everything works for 7 days. After that the face keeps showing the time with default settings and a small "UNLOCK DIALFORGE.DEV" bar. Your watch ID is shown in the face settings; buy the code for that ID at dialforge.dev and paste it into the settings.

Questions or ideas: kontakt@dialforge.dev

A little request from the maker

Dialforge is my student project. I build these watch faces after classes, so they are still at an early stage, and I could not test every watch model myself. If something looks wrong on your watch, please do not leave a negative rating: write to me first at https://dialforge.dev/faces/bigdigits/ and I will fix it, usually within 24 hours. A kind review means more to me than you can imagine. And if you like my work, you can buy me a coffee (the link is at the bottom of dialforge.dev): I am saving up to pay for my studies. Thank you for your patience and for giving a young developer a chance.

Manual

Big Digits: user manual

What it does

Big Digits is for reading the time without effort. Thick digits across the whole width of the screen, weekday and date in large letters, steps and battery in the same big type. Nothing small to squint at.

Requirements and supported watches

Needs Connect IQ 3.2.0+ and the Connect IQ or Garmin Connect phone app. Supported watches (all with a 1-bit screen):

  • Instinct 2 family: Instinct 2, 2 Solar, Dual Power and dezl Edition (176 x 176), Instinct 2S, 2S Solar and Dual Power (163 x 156), Instinct 2X Solar (176 x 176).
  • Instinct 3 Solar 45 mm and 50 mm, Instinct E 40 mm and 45 mm.
  • Instinct Crossover.
  • Descent G1 and G1 Solar.

All of them have a 1-bit MIP screen. Instinct Crossover has no subscreen, so the face draws a plain circle in that corner. The physical hands of the Crossover cover the middle of the screen.

Installation

In the Connect IQ app on your phone (or Garmin Connect, then the Connect IQ Store) find "Big Digits" by Dialforge, tap Install and sync the watch. Then hold the menu button (UP), choose Watch Face and select Big Digits.

First launch

Weekday and date at the top left, time across the full width in the middle, step count in large type at the bottom. The round subscreen shows seconds with the battery percentage under them while the watch is awake. The 7-day trial starts the first time the face runs.

Controls

Watches with buttons (START, UP, DOWN, BACK)

  • No actions of its own. Settings are on the phone only.

Touch watches (tap, hold, swipe)

  • None of the supported watches has a touch screen. The face has no touch actions.

Settings

Phone only: Connect IQ app, Big Digits, Settings. The face has no settings menu on the watch.

  • Layout: Plain big digits (default), or Digits in a solid band (more contrast), where the digits are cut out of a solid band.
  • Time format: Automatic (follows the watch setting), 12-hour, 24-hour. Default: Automatic.
  • Seconds when the watch is active: on or off. Default: on.
  • Light background: on or off (dark text on a light screen). Default: off.
  • Watch ID (for the unlock code): read-only, you need it to buy the code.
  • Unlock code from dialforge.dev: paste the code here.
  • Seconds are shown only while the watch is awake after a wrist gesture. In low power mode there are no seconds and the face redraws once a minute.
  • In low power mode the subscreen shows the battery level only, as a big number with a percent sign.
  • In 12-hour mode AM or PM appears next to the weekday.

License

  • Trial: 7 days from the first launch, everything works.
  • Price: 3.99 EUR once at dialforge.dev, no subscription. The 8-character code is tied to your watch ID. The all-faces pack code also works.
  • Where to enter it: phone, Connect IQ app, Big Digits, Settings. Read the ID in "Watch ID (for the unlock code)", buy the code, then paste it into "Unlock code from dialforge.dev".
  • After the trial without a code: settings return to defaults and a small UNLOCK DIALFORGE.DEV bar appears. Time and data keep working.

Privacy and permissions

Permissions: none. The manifest is empty. The face does not use GPS, does not connect to the internet and sends no data. Nothing is collected.

It reads only the battery level and the step count from the watch.

Troubleshooting

The code does not work. Check that the watch ID you bought for matches "Watch ID (for the unlock code)" and type all 8 characters (case is ignored, no 0, O, 1 or I). A code for another face does not fit. Sync, then reopen.

Battery drain? Seconds are drawn only while the watch is awake. In low power mode the face redraws once a minute.

Where are the seconds? Turn on "Seconds when the watch is active" in the settings, then raise your wrist. Seconds never show in low power mode.

12-hour or 24-hour? Set "Time format" in the settings. Automatic follows the watch.

Contact

kontakt@dialforge.dev or dialforge.dev. Please write before leaving a low rating.

Permissions and privacy

This product does not use the internet and sends no data to our servers.

Unlock

€3.99

One-time payment. No subscription. The code works on the watch whose UID you enter.

  1. Install the face from the Connect IQ store. It is free for 7 days.
  2. Find your 10-digit UID: Connect IQ app on the phone > My Device > Watch faces > Big Digits > Settings (first field).
  3. Enter UID and e-mail, pay with PayPal (cards work without a PayPal account). The code appears here at once.
  4. Type the code into the same settings page, field "Unlock code". The watch checks it offline.

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Tell us how to make it better

Missing a data field, a colour, a layout? Found a bug on your watch model? Write it here. We read every message and ship improvements in updates.

Big Digits€3.99Unlock