Hi Tommy,
I like the project and I think there is a great need to explore what a smartwatch can be!
You have some good ideas and made good steps towards an implementable design. Your renders are decent and the sketches are clear.
Work more with textures and get the sharpness right to get a realistic look. See if you can add more character to the visualizations.
A few initial remarks are the scatter texture - this happened to my Samsung Gear too after I forgot to remove it in the spray painting area and was working with chrome. It doesn’t really add interest to this product in my view. I like that you chose a round design, this is this thing I have with watches needing to be round, it’s just the only shape that works.
For a project of this scope you can go much further into conceptualizing what the smartwatch can be. You need to map out all use cases and explore possible interactions to come up with a scenario that works. Removing a touchscreen is a bold idea but what you are really talking about is removing screen-based interaction. You can still use the screen or use touch interaction. I prefer mechanical touch input like wheels and knobs, and can see the value of voice feedback. I see a watch display mostly fit to give one type of information at a quick glance, it is a peripheral device to me.
I agree a touchscreen input is not optimal - you get fingerprints and no haptic feedback, you have to carefully look where you are pressing. So a simple button in the center makes sense. You can think about navigation styles with simple mechanical feedback or beep-like sounds with different frequencies giving feedback of where you are in the navigational structure, then you can lay your finger on top of the button (hovering is also possible with capsens) and get voice-feedback, then pressing will get you further into the menus. If you keep a simple interaction style and reflect it in the product design like you are doing, you can create a very successful concept. Keep exploring and integrating different ideas while keeping a clear view of where you want the design to go.
Also don’t underestimate annular snap fit systems - you need to show some calculations before you can prove it is a workable and durable solution.
CNCed aluminum is probably a good idea for this + with an anodized finish it will look great.