Uniques designs - who does them?
Discussion
It's an interesting observation that many watch makers, established, newish or new, are accused of copying others designs, that they are somehow 'homages', and word that seems to send a collective shudder down the spine of watch enthusiasts.
So, without resorting to very high end exotica, which makers do 'unique' designs. I mean, even the fabled Submariner is ultimately an 'homage' to the Fifty Fathoms, and the Daytona and Speedmaster could be twins, so even big brands do it. How different does a watch have to be before it can be considered 'unique'. Is a watch that 'looks bit like' another watch (i.e. has a rotating bezel, a date at 3, and a generic oyster type bracelet) really a copy?
Thoughts?
So, without resorting to very high end exotica, which makers do 'unique' designs. I mean, even the fabled Submariner is ultimately an 'homage' to the Fifty Fathoms, and the Daytona and Speedmaster could be twins, so even big brands do it. How different does a watch have to be before it can be considered 'unique'. Is a watch that 'looks bit like' another watch (i.e. has a rotating bezel, a date at 3, and a generic oyster type bracelet) really a copy?
Thoughts?
Depending on who you ask, everything’s a homage to a submariner...apparently...which is in itself a copy of other circular, bezel eqiupped diving watches.
The use of the word ‘homage’ seems to me, to be snobbery based (except in the case of blatant copies like stuff from steinhart and rotary. If it’s a circular watch with roman or arabic numerals, lines or dots, a bezel (or not), some mid-face little dials in a triangle or a row or a column, and either 3, 4, 5 or 6 hands with pointy bits or round bits or blunt bits at the ends, someone’s already done it.
So the answer is: Apple. They do a squarish watch that tells you when your phone’s ringing and how many steps you’ve done and when your mate tags you in an inappropriate photo on social media and tons more stuff. :P
The use of the word ‘homage’ seems to me, to be snobbery based (except in the case of blatant copies like stuff from steinhart and rotary. If it’s a circular watch with roman or arabic numerals, lines or dots, a bezel (or not), some mid-face little dials in a triangle or a row or a column, and either 3, 4, 5 or 6 hands with pointy bits or round bits or blunt bits at the ends, someone’s already done it.
So the answer is: Apple. They do a squarish watch that tells you when your phone’s ringing and how many steps you’ve done and when your mate tags you in an inappropriate photo on social media and tons more stuff. :P
BS62 said:
So the answer is: Apple. They do a squarish watch that tells you when your phone’s ringing and how many steps you’ve done and when your mate tags you in an inappropriate photo on social media and tons more stuff. :P
Tonnes before en even more after that design though.Some brands still have their identity and are just too small to be copied.
A lot of micro brands I'd say.
I like my Magrette, I even ordered another one (bronze this time). I don't think I've seen a watch so far that could be confused for one at a distance or vice versa.
BS62 said:
So the answer is: Apple. They do a squarish watch that tells you when your phone’s ringing and how many steps you’ve done and when your mate tags you in an inappropriate photo on social media and tons more stuff. :P
Is that the one that looks like a Sony Smartwatch that came out 3 years before Apple's first one?Hoofy said:
BS62 said:
So the answer is: Apple. They do a squarish watch that tells you when your phone’s ringing and how many steps you’ve done and when your mate tags you in an inappropriate photo on social media and tons more stuff. :P
Is that the one that looks like a Sony Smartwatch that came out 3 years before Apple's first one?BS62 said:
Hoofy said:
BS62 said:
So the answer is: Apple. They do a squarish watch that tells you when your phone’s ringing and how many steps you’ve done and when your mate tags you in an inappropriate photo on social media and tons more stuff. :P
Is that the one that looks like a Sony Smartwatch that came out 3 years before Apple's first one?
Dempsey1971 said:
It's an interesting observation that many watch makers, established, newish or new, are accused of copying others designs, that they are somehow 'homages', and word that seems to send a collective shudder down the spine of watch enthusiasts.
So, without resorting to very high end exotica, which makers do 'unique' designs. I mean, even the fabled Submariner is ultimately an 'homage' to the Fifty Fathoms, and the Daytona and Speedmaster could be twins, so even big brands do it. How different does a watch have to be before it can be considered 'unique'. Is a watch that 'looks bit like' another watch (i.e. has a rotating bezel, a date at 3, and a generic oyster type bracelet) really a copy?
Thoughts?
It's a good observation. A watch is ultimately quite a simple thing; some hands, day & date and possibly a chronometer or other complication, so how do you make it different without also making it impossible to read? You've only got 40 odd mm of 'real estate' to play with and a hundred or so other companies trying to do exactly the same. It's not surprising then that a lot of watches can look like other models, normally quite unintentionally.So, without resorting to very high end exotica, which makers do 'unique' designs. I mean, even the fabled Submariner is ultimately an 'homage' to the Fifty Fathoms, and the Daytona and Speedmaster could be twins, so even big brands do it. How different does a watch have to be before it can be considered 'unique'. Is a watch that 'looks bit like' another watch (i.e. has a rotating bezel, a date at 3, and a generic oyster type bracelet) really a copy?
Thoughts?
I went down the route of starting from scratch and questioning every detail;
With the exception of that chap from Essex, we all know that when the big hand is pointing upwards and the little hand is pointing to the right then it's 3 0-clock, so why write 12 and 3 (or indeed any numbers) on the dial?
How many days of the week actually need three letters to distinguish them from another day? Turns out it can all be done with two letters, so no point having a day indicator that says MON, TUE, WED etc when Mo, Tu, We are just as good.
Watches, with the exception of the brilliant Steve Mcqueen TAG Heuer, are generally roundish sort of things, so why put square and rectangular windows on the dial when round windows are more consistent with the overall look.
And, of course, the 3 0-clock line is quite a nice place to put a name and a logo, so why not move the day and date down to the 4 o-clock line to prevent everything looking too crowded.
Do all the above and what you end up with is:
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