Just went on and implemented the idea you suggested, using the digital crown.
The interaction feels smooth, and the functionality is almost exactly what I envisioned. There’s still a bit of tweaking needed for the haptic feedback to make it just right, but overall, it’s coming together nicely.
I recorded a quick video of the app running in the simulator. Keep in mind that the digital crown interaction is a bit finicky in the simulator because I’m using the mouse scroll wheel—on the actual device, the sensitivity and feel are much better. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t capture the sound or haptics, which really add to the experience, but it should still give you a good idea of how it’s working.
https://a.dropoverapp.com/cloud/download/2074a242-5cdc-480a-98b3-eacfd78cbb76/0b...