Wrights Brother’s Watch
2024
Summary:
Minimal aviator timepiece designed around a single constraint - the dial must be readable in under two seconds, in any light.
Key Materials:
Metal
Glass
Leather
Collector, Not Consumer
Who Wears This:
. Filtered reference images collectively in meetings - building the world this watch would live in before touching the design.
. Designed to sit apart from the existing line - a limited run with unique material finishes.
Heritage Without Costume
Form Refinement:
. Rapid sketch iteration to find the point where heritage and elegance balance in space - the proportion was the hardest problem.
. Defined key features with stakeholders including typography, size, and crown proportions.
The Hinge Problem
Mechanical Before Aesthetic:
. CAD used to pressure-test the hinged caseback before tech specs went to engineering — a detail that had to work mechanically before it could work aesthetically.
. Integrated a hinged opening feature inspired by pocket watch forms to create a distinct user interaction.
. Three colorways rendered early to align stakeholders before finalized engineering decisions locked in the design.
One Final Revision. One Shot.
Project Outcome:
. Selected surface finishes to differentiate functional areas and enhance material contrast across the watch.
. Applied brushed, polished, and matte treatments to reinforce hierarchy and highlight key features.
. Received one revision window before production lock - called out surface finish changes needed to preserve the hierarchy across case, dial ring, and crown against stakeholder pressure toward a single matte finish.
