Techniques
Parametric design
The collective behavior of birds in a flock can be explained by speed matching between the birds, short-range avoidance, and long-range attraction. Turing patterns such as leopard spots can be explained by short-range positive feedback and long-range negative feedback on coat pigmentation. In each case, complex outcomes can often be captured by simple rules. These outcomes are referred to as emergent. We were inspired to explore emergent dial designs through parametric (rule-based) design. This approach has gained popularity across fields from architecture to biology, enabling infinite families of shapes that mimic biological complexity or dynamic processes. Our Near Field design came from a model of wave propagation with wave frequency and origin as parameters. Our Affinity design was inspired by liquid crystal interactions, including preferred orientation and local repulsion parameters. Our Ori #1 design came from rigid edge linkage networks with a preferred face folding angle. These designs give a satisfying sense of geometry, movement, and temporal change.
Bold dial relief
Watch dials are most often flat 400 micron-thick discs. A surprising number of design constraints including case dimensions, stem position in the case, hand height, and dial decoration techniques revolve around this choice. Watchmakers have perfected enviable tricks of light to transcend this over the centuries, including raised marks and indices, guilloché patterns, etc.
A defining challenge for our first watch series was to break these constraints on dial relief even further. This required precise 3D modeling to harmonize movement, case, and hand height dimensions through modification to the movement itself. The result are dials with an addictive pull to observe the miniature world within them.
TopoTone: Engineered visual perception
Highly polished surfaces undermine perception of depth because reflections of the environment dominate the shape of the object itself. On the other hand, matte objects appear dull. We carefully engineered our dials to avoid these extremes, accentuating their bold 3D relief. Our approach is a depth-mapped halftone microtexture pattern. In other words, we vary the local density of laser-etched microscopic pits depending on the surface depth. Deeper areas receive denser etch patterns relative to shallow areas. We then lock in optical properties using precise surface chemistry treatments and anti-tarnish coating.
Although the micro-texture is scarcely visible to the naked eye, the combined effect is a gradient in reflectance (more so than color). We've nicknamed it TopoTone™. This enables the eye to interpret a dial's shape and depth over a much wider range of lighting conditions.
