AS A TOOL to tell time, the watch has probably lost much significance over the decades.
Innovation has allowed us to tell time via other devices with a greater degree of accuracy than watches ever could.
Watches these days are more about making statements about the user. And while Europe is often deemed the centre of the craft, other countries have weighed in.
Singapore’s flag bearer is an atelier that prides itself on creating some of the more unique timepieces in the global watch industry.
Azimuth makes watches that may baffle or confuse, but are ultimately wonderful conversation pieces of sculpture on your wrist.
Unconventional Watches
Explains co-founder of Azimuth, Christopher Long: “Telling time with a regular 3-hand watch is boring.
“We prefer to tell time with no hands, by means of disc. Or how about a single hand? Preferably if it goes anti-clockwise? Or, we could just let the hands go all over the place, like the Mr Roboto watch.
“They make for good reasons to look at your watch longer and appreciate what you have on your wrist.”
Azimuth clearly enjoys being challenged in its craft.
“We found our forte in avant-garde watchmaking,” Long explains.
Azimuth’s sculpted timepieces take many shapes and forms that reach into Long’s creative mind.
A robot case, spaceship, or elements of cars have found design life as Azimuth timepieces.
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“Our philosophy is never to look within the industry for inspiration. We think out of the box, and we understand that not everyone will wear an Azimuth.
“The challenge is not to just take an object and put it on your wrist and call it a watch.
“But we have to respect the traditional watchmaking codes, understand the challenges of watchmaking techniques and appreciate the ergonomics of wristwatch fittings.”
To enable the creation of these timepieces, Long uses engineering principles from various disciplines.
“We calculated the length of motorbike chain required to tell time. We took the engineering application of gear counts to make the watch go anticlockwise. We applied the knowledge of springs and levers to activate the jumping of the hour disc in the spaceship.
“The result is a technical object which tells time…and which your could wear. Only collectors with attitude and confidence will wear an Azimuth.”
For more information on Azimuth watches, visit www.azimuthwatch.com
