If you visit Taiwan, you’ll find that most of the architecture is built using cement. Then in 2006 the founder of Taiwan-based 22 Design Studio saw Japan’s exquisite, cast-in-place concrete architecture and realized that the material had potential to be moulded creatively and could be used in product design as well. So, 22 Design Studio launched a series of rings and stationary inspired by urban architecture and the latest addition to that range is their Concrete Sector watch!
This minimal watch is also inspired by architecture and urban life, to put it in the studio’s own words, “It is a metropolitan watch designed for urban residents, emphasizing the perfect balance of design, craftsmanship and practicality.” The Concrete Sector watch also draws elements from the battlefields of WWI, specifically the trench watch design which was introduced to be a convenient alternative to the pocket watch the soldiers were carrying. Like their other concrete items, this watch is also crafted using 22 Design Studio’s exclusive concrete curing process which gives it that unique brutalist aesthetic. The technique used is called ‘béton brut’ where the concrete is left unfinished after being cast and this showcases the patterns and seams imprinted on it by the formwork.
The dial’s structured 3D grooves are cut into radial 12 and 60 equal parts. The shadow caused by the cutting is used as the time scale to accurately indicate every minute and second. The concrete grid rises slightly in the “22nd” minute as a slight nod to the studio’s work. The Concrete Sector watch features Swiss Sellita SW200-1 automatic winding movement with a power reserve of 38 hours and comes in a 316L medical grade stainless steel case. It is also water resistant up to 50 meters, scratch-resistant and has an anti-reflective sapphire glass. The sandwich structure is also coated with Super-LumiNova which makes it easy to read time in day and night. This handmade timepiece has contemporary dial with a vintage soul.
Designer: 22 Design Studio
