100 Years of Watch Design [2000s - 2010s]

Just over 100 years ago, the wristwatch was a new tool that began to gain widespread acceptance. Since then, various mechanisms and functions were added, and by the 1960s, the wristwatch had reached a standard of completion. Along with this, watch design also evolved. Wristwatches were once nothing more than modified pocket watches. However, by the 1930s, the design that we know today had been perfected, and by the 1960s, like the mechanism of watches, it had become what we know today. We would like to look back over the past 100 years of design that has evolved by overcoming various constraints.

[2000s] A revolution in case manufacturing

　In the 1990s, watches became larger and thicker, becoming more three-dimensional. Watch designers took advantage of the limitations of flat crystals and thick, general-purpose movements to create a succession of unprecedented watch designs. However, there were limitations to the manufacturing methods available at the time when it came to achieving a more three-dimensional appearance.

　Watch design has changed dramatically since the 2000s. The reason for this change is new multi-axis CNC lathes. The lathes and milling machines previously used by case makers were well-suited to carving uniform shapes from pressed blanks, but were completely unsuitable for irregular designs. This is why the Royal Oak and Nautilus were once so expensive. It's true that advances in press technology since the 1980s have made it possible to create complex shapes even at lower price points. However, achieving the precision finish befitting a luxury watch is an entirely different matter.

　In the 90s, several Swiss manufacturers began working to produce their cases in-house. Even without large-scale press (or forging) facilities, new machine tools made it possible to produce high-quality cases. IWC was one of the first to adopt this method and increase its in-house production rate.

　However, ambitious watchmakers believed that newer multi-axis CNC machines could enable them to realize unprecedented designs, namely more three-dimensional designs. One such person was Richard Mille. He wanted to completely integrate the movement and case, and he created extremely three-dimensional drawings for both. To be honest, his wish would not have been realized in the 1990s. However, the CNC lathe introduced by case maker Donze Baume allowed him to realize the case design he envisioned exactly as it was.

　Previously, Richard Mille bezels were made by cutting blanks on a CNC lathe. However, parts cut by pressing are prone to distortion due to residual stress. Unsatisfied with the precision of the blanks, Richard Mille later changed the manufacturing method to form the exterior and interior of a round bar stock to create two bezels. Cutting takes an hour and a half for both the front and back, and the machining precision is within 1 to 4 microns. By applying the same machining precision to the exterior as to the movement components, Richard Mille watches not only have a three-dimensional appearance, but also an extraordinary sense of unity.

　Jean-Claude Biver, who became CEO of Hublot, took a different approach and arrived at the same solution as Richard Mille. He set the concept of "fusion" for the new Hublot, and wanted to reflect this in the products, which meant combining a variety of materials.

　However, the presses that Hublot had been using for many years were unable to realize the complex structure he desired. Biver gave up on pressing and instead perfected the "sandwich case," which uses machined parts to create the case. However, he explains that the three-dimensional effect was a by-product. "The three-dimensional effect came after I considered fusion. The three-dimensional effect is ultimately the result of the sandwich case."

　Like Richard Mille, the Big Bang's case has evolved over the years. Around 2008, the precision of the components improved, and around 10, the crystal coating became clear. As a result, the Big Bang's case became more complex, and a variety of dial colors became available.

　During this period, various other small manufacturers also added features that could only be achieved with CNC lathes, but these were mostly undertaken by ambitious entrepreneurs and independent watchmakers.

Hublot before 2005. Founded in 1980, Hublot had multiple presses in its factory to create cases that were complex at the time. However, Jean-Claude Biver, who became Hublot's CEO, completely overhauled the case manufacturing method, which relied on presses, in order to realize a new concept.

The sandwich-structured case is made up of multiple parts. This was made possible by the latest CNC lathes, which can process designs with high precision. Cases with a similar structure could have been made in the past. However, without the machine tools of the 2000s and beyond, the airtightness required for modern watches would not have been possible. This case structure was made possible by technological advances.

[2010s] Freedom in watch design

　Watch design changed dramatically in the 2000s. This was made possible by the rapid spread of multi-axis CNC lathes in the watch industry. However, the introduction of these machines was limited to a few emerging manufacturers and case suppliers willing to invest in equipment. Furthermore, there were also only a limited number of manufacturers willing to purchase expensive cases made by cutting.

　However, by the 2010s, major manufacturers had begun to follow suit. There were various reasons for this change. Struggling with the so-called "ETA Year 2000 problem," manufacturers were forced to allocate resources to developing new in-house movements throughout the 2000s. However, once this settled down around the end of the decade, manufacturers began to consider using the multi-axis CNC lathes that had been used to develop their own movements for exterior parts as well.

　Jaeger-LeCoultre was ahead of the curve in this trend. Since the 1990s, the company has completely revamped its movement machine tools, successfully increasing the variety of movements it offers. By subsequently introducing cutting to exterior processing, the former "movement maker" has succeeded in creating a wide variety of cases in a short period of time.

　A good example of this is the Grande Reverso Ultra Slim Tribute to 1931 from 2011. The case structure is the same as the original Reverso. However, by finishing it with cutting, the distortion of the case was reduced and the fit was improved. This model also became a pioneer of so-called reissues.

　Even manufacturers that entered the watch industry in earnest focused on the exterior. Bulgari's Octo is a watch that symbolizes this trend. The original prototype was the Gerald Genta Octo from 2004. Fabrizio Bonamassa was tasked with redesigning this model, and he transformed it into something completely different by adding the geometric and simple shape that is characteristic of Bulgari. It has an astounding 110 facets.

　The 04 Octo certainly had a multifaceted design, but the technology at the time didn't allow for a grained finish on the case, so the case was given a mirror finish and had rounded edges. By machining the case entirely on a CNC lathe, the new Octo has more facets, grained edges, and sharper edges.

　This model also embodied Gérald Genta's approach to creating watches that were both thin and three-dimensional. During Genta's time, it was extremely expensive to turn his drawings into reality. However, advances in technology have made it possible to create incredibly complex designs at affordable prices.

　In the 2010s, Japanese manufacturers also began to work on three-dimensional designs. A good example of this is the Grand Seiko 44GS design reissue released in 13. This is a nearly perfect reissue of the 1967 model. Originally, this design was achieved by applying Zaratsu polishing to a forged case.

　In contrast, the new model was machined after forging, further accentuating its complex surface structure. Since then, Grand Seiko has gained worldwide acclaim for its unique, angular, three-dimensional design.

　I would like to add, as an aside, that since the latter half of the 2010s, we have entered an era in which the methods adopted by large manufacturers have trickled down to small and medium-sized manufacturers as well. Free design, which was previously only available to a select few manufacturers, can now be seen by all manufacturers.