How to design a watch according to Beaubleu’s designer
During meetings, private presentations, or even drinking at a coffee, a Beaubleu watch often catches someone’s eye. Then THE question comes: how did you come to this design? Today we want to take time to explain this step in the watch’s story to you.
The concept of the watch : from Mind to Body
Before jumping on the paper to scribble a tangle of two circles, with one shorter than the other, let’s define a concept.
In general we quickly are tempted to start the design of a watch by its style: vintage, sporty, futuristic, modern… But first, we started by asking questions, such as: How will it be worn? Where will it be worn? What are the needs it must fulfill? So many questions that will sketch a strong idea without falling into the same exercise.
For Beaubleu, the main idea was the measurement of the time and its composition. It was necessary to return to the very foundation of what a watch is. With that, we have broken down the foundation in three distinct parts: the technique (the movement), the transport/ornament (lug and strap) and the reading of the time.
From there, the design of the watch came almost naturally. The body of the watch encloses the mechanical heart in a refined way to highlight the movement. The lugs attached to the straps have been worked with curves inspired by the automobile design. The dial and hands evoke the kinetic movement of the planets, the very basis of our perception of time.
Round Handed Sundial
The spirit of the watch are its dial and its hands. You have to keep in mind that you will glance at your timepiece several times a day for years. Then the design must not bored you.
The Dial
This part serves both time references (3, 6, 9 and 12 hours) and sets. Knowing that the accuracy is of the order of one micron (0.001mm), a watch dial of about 30 mm in diameter seems very quickly like a huge planet to fill. We played with graphics and relief to dress this space as an architect or a planner who identifies flows and uses. Grooving or joining of two pieces will be different depending on the direction of the consumed light, as will the material treatment depending on the ambient light.
To create a recognizable piece for you, we focused on a shape, a treatment, a color and a graphic. To be consistent with the concept of the sundial and our Galilean inspirations, we had to rethink the idea of a temporal indicator: the hands.
Every creation is a succession of goings and comings between inspiration and sketches. The B01 was not an exception. After several tests on the work of Galileo, the circular hands gradually took shape to finally become the signature of Beaubleu. The circular hands became an indicator and a moving graphic. As you can see, by crossing each other, they form an evolutionary graphic throughout the day. From the alignment of the planets to the race of the sun, it is a spectacle within reach of a wrist.
We could talk for hours and continue to share our passion for design and watchmaking. However, we invite you to contact us to discuss deeply if you want.
Wishing you wonderful hours.
Beaubleu
