BECOME A WATCH DESIGNER

Discover how the course is structured and what it takes to design watches that move beyond aesthetics into real production. Understand the instructor’s journey across design, prototyping, and launching watches, and how those lessons shape a practical, industry-focused approach to watch design. 

• Meet your instructor
• Course structure 
• Assignments & course project overview

Explore the foundations of the watch industry, from historical context to modern market realities. Learn how different categories, brands, and buyer motivations shape design decisions, and why most concepts fail to reach production. 

• Watch market segmentation
• The designer's role
• Marketing imagery vs. manufacturable design
• Independent brands vs large maisons
• Case Study: Deconstructing the design language of three major brands/models and what makes them successful.
• Discussion: Analysing the motivations of the high-end watch buyer

Assignment #1:
Analyse three watches within a chosen category, identifying user, intent, strengths, and weaknesses. Present insights in a concise, annotated format.

Learn how time display, user behaviour, and mechanical structure define watch design. Understand how each component contributes to function, readability, and overall coherence across different watch types. 

• What about "time"?
• Watch anatomy and design categories
• Movement overview
• Workshop: Map design constraints for different watch types

Discover how proportion, detail, and finishing define a watch’s identity. Analyse how leading brands build recognisable design languages and how subtle visual decisions communicate value and positioning. 

• Decoding brand design language
• Luxury cues
• Case Study: Comparison of Rolex models
• Demo: Identifying different font applications, bezel treatments, and hand styles on historical and contemporary models
• Aligning vs. subverting new design

Learn how to build a clear and intentional design direction before sketching. Develop the ability to translate references into original ideas while aligning materials, colour, and components with a defined concept. 

• Analysing references vs. copying inspiration
• Colour and contrast
• Hands, indices, and dial elements
• Materials and finishes
• Watch collection lifecycle
• Workshop: Build a visual direction board

Understand how movement selection and engineering constraints define every aspect of a watch. Learn to design with technical awareness, ensuring feasibility from the outset. 

• Calibre basics
• Constraints of micromechanics
• Feasibility in design
• Demo: Visual guide to movement components
• Discussion: Designing around the mechanism, not just on the surface

Assignment #2:
Define the time-reading logic, movement, and constraints of your watch concept. Justify key decisions and outline trade-offs clearly.

Explore multiple design directions through rapid sketching and disciplined decision-making. Learn to balance creativity with restraint and refine ideas into clear, intentional concepts.

• Rapid sketching techniques
• Dial layout, indices, hand shapes, and symmetry
• Scale and proportion
• Workshop: Sketch 3 variations on their chosen concept 

Assignment #3:
Produce three distinct design directions and select one to develop further. Justify your choices and clearly explain rejected concepts.

Learn to translate sketches into precise, proportionally accurate 2D drawings. Understand how to define dimensions and prepare designs for technical validation and production. 

• Front view, side profile, case back view
• Key dimensions
• Preparing files for CAD and print 
• Demo: Translating a sketch into a clean 2D drawing in Illustrator

Refine and validate your 2D drawings to ensure clarity, consistency, and technical accuracy. Identify and resolve proportion and alignment issues before moving into 3D. 

• Adding details
• Checking consistency between views
• Identifying proportion or alignment issues
• Preparing a final 2D package
• Workshop: Build and refine your 2D drawings
• Review and feedback

Use CAD as a tool to validate design decisions and uncover hidden constraints. Learn how structure, tolerances, and engineering realities shape the final product. 

• CAD as a decision-making tool
• Thickness and tolerances
• Identifying design flaws in CAD
• Demo: Checking design details
• Comparing design with the tech sheets

Assignment #4:
Build a simplified 2D or 3D model of your watch, focusing on structure and realistic proportions. Reflect on technical constraints and design compromises.

Design watches for real-world comfort and usability. Understand how straps and bracelets influence ergonomics, identity, and the overall user experience. 

• Bracelet vs strap
• Integration points
• Ergonomics and comfort
• Bracelet construction
• Case Study: The role of the bracelet/strap in defining the watch category

Learn to communicate your design through clear, realistic renders. Focus on material accuracy, lighting, and composition to present the watch honestly and effectively. 

• Rendering workflows and tools
• Surface finishing techniques
• Material representation
• Camera angles and composition 
• Lab: Preparing a simple component for rendering with AI

Assignment #5:
Produce three renders that communicate form, material, and intent. Maintain realism and align visuals with your design’s technical constraints.

Understand how materials, finishing, and storytelling influence perceived value. Learn to align design decisions with brand positioning and market expectations. 

• Guest Speaker: Creative strategy in a luxury house
• Workshop: Define a material/finish “story” for your watch that is aligned to the brand and price point
• Visual honesty vs. over-stylisation
• Product perception vs. reality 

Assignment #6 (Optional):
Create a factory-oriented specification sheet outlining materials, construction, and risks. Focus on clarity and production readiness.

Learn how to navigate real-world design environments and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Develop the skills needed to communicate ideas, manage constraints, and move projects forward.

• Product development
• Problem solving
• Stakeholder communication
• Managing briefs and revisions
• Watch fairs and networking
• Industry pathways

Build a compelling portfolio that demonstrates both creative vision and technical understanding. Learn how to present your work clearly and position yourself within the industry. 

• Platforming and kickstarter
• Curating a portfolio
• Demo: Structuring a pitch
• Visual storytelling
• Handling objections and critiques 
• Approaching brands and opportunities

Present a complete watch concept that balances creativity with real-world constraints. Demonstrate your ability to communicate design intent, technical thinking, and market awareness. 

• Final pitch
• Q&A and feedback 

Final Project:
Create a complete watch design board that communicates concept, user, and technical feasibility. Align your design with either a microbrand or an established maison.