Fratello Talks: The Present And Future Of Watch Design
Though people often focus on specs and price when talking about watches, we believe that design is just as important, if not more so. Today, on Fratello Talks, we’re diving into the present and future of watch design. Nacho, Daan, and Thomas discuss current design-focused brands and the individual designers who put pen to paper and don’t get nearly enough recognition for their work. They wrap up by pondering what the future of watch design might look like. There are certainly a handful of brands that give us a taste of it, especially microbrands, with their famous ability to adapt and try new, wild ideas. But regardless of what watch design ends up looking like, there’s no doubt that exciting times lie ahead. Before we jump in, let’s do a quick wrist check.
Wrist check
We begin with Daan, who’s wearing his Serica 5303-3, which has a distinctive, icy sonic-blue ceramic bezel insert and a glossy dark blue dial. He’s keeping the diver stock with the Serica mesh bracelet. As far as design goes, Serica is a fascinating brand that blends mid-century inspiration with a unique twist. This is all the work of the brand’s co-owner and designer, Jérôme Burgert, whom we’ve previously spoken to on the show alongside Gabrielle Vachette.
Thomas has had his hands on the new variant of the Formex Essence Ceramica COSC today, but as the bracelet is not yet sized to his wrist, he has defaulted to his trusty blue-dial VPC Type 37HW. Speaking of design, Thomas was aided by award-winning British designer Max Resnick in bringing his vision for the perfect GADA watch to life.
Nacho is wearing his long-absent Seiko SRPC35K1, also known as the “Mini Turtle.” This 42mm version of Seiko’s iconic C-shaped case dive watch was likely designed by Ikuo Tokunaga, the brand’s veteran designer. However, it’s hard to say since Seiko does not usually disclose this kind of information.
Louis, the designer responsible for working on the WRK ACF-02
Fratello Talks: The Present And Future Of Watch Design
We find ourselves in what feels like a turning point for watch design. The indisputable dominance of vintage-inspired designs feels like it’s winding down without quite losing its luster of timeless relevance. At the same time, we see a resurgence in futuristic, avant-garde design taking center stage. Brands are also revisiting the classic form factor of the dress watch with different iterations that feel simultaneously classic and fresh. As we’ve previously said, it feels like there is no trend today, and anything goes.
The kaleidoscope of watch design is spinning quickly. It may be a while before it slows down enough for something coherent to take shape. But we’re here just as much for the ride as for the destination. Today, we talk about many brands and designers doing their thing and hazard the odd guess or two about the future. The only sure things are that it’s an exciting time and that designers deserve more credit than they get. But what are your thoughts on this current era of watch design? Let us know in the comments below, and tune in next week for a new episode of Fratello Talks!
