DESIGN
Creative design is at the centre of what we do. Ember Watch Company aim to create watches that do not conform to common design styles and instead breakaway and establish a unique style of our own.
Coming from a furniture design background, I am able to apply a different perspective on how to approach the design of a watch.
INSPIRATION
All ideas start with inspiration from an outside source, often from something unrelated to the subject being designed. During the design development process I took inspiration from a variety of sources including car interiors and automotive design, architecture, lighting and graphic design.
Image credit: Davide Virdis
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
The design process for Rocket has been a long process, but it was important to ensure the final product was the best it possibly could be.
This process began with freehand sketching with pen on paper, but soon moved on to 2D renders to explore colour options and graphical layout.
3D DESIGN
To design the case of the Rocket, 3D software was essential.
The case design was created through a process of cutting away pieces of a 3D model to reveal large facets and sharp edges. Numerous iterations were explored, with smaller and smaller modications made to refine the form.
3D PRINTING
It was only possible to fully evaluate the design fully by having it 3D printed. By utilising 3D printing, the form of the watch can be fully explored. These models can even have a strap attached and be worn to test comfort and fit.
Numerous 3D prints were created over a period of time, to explore variations of the case design and to make small refinements each time.
PROTOTYPES
This is when stuff starts to get real! After several emails back and forth with the manufacturer, the first batch of fully-functioning prototypes were ordered, 5 in total, 1 of each colour combination.
It's an amazing feeling wearing something that until that point was just a design on a screen, but there was still work to be done.
The logo was redesigned (twice), new colours were explored and a new batch of prototypes ordered.