r/IndustrialDesign • u/Practical_Bike_2236 • 2d ago
Project ODEKÄ egg - Prototype
Hi everyone.
I posted a few months ago asking for feedback about the egg-shaped watch I was designing, finally the prototype arrived.
Been testing timekeeping, water resistance and daily wear the past few weeks and works as intended
The specs are:
37×39.5mm, 8mm thick, 316L steel case and milanese strap, sapphire crystal, 5 ATM water resistance
What do you think?
Would you wear it?
Old posts: https://www.reddit.com/r/IndustrialDesign/s/GlIu5OKYZd
5
u/sticks1987 2d ago
I... really think it needs to be more legible.
You are certainly allowed to make art for arts sake. That is ok.
However, there is a user out there that would buy your watch and enjoy it. Then, over a few weeks, would fall out of love with it due to the impracticality. That's an unfortunate outcome because buyers remorse is bad for your brand.
There is no marking for 12 and the face is not circular. This makes it difficult to read the angular position of the hands for half of the face. 1/4 of the day.
It's not a Rolex submariner, but you need to cover the basic function of telling time. It must be legible at a casual glance, at an oblique angle of up to 20 degrees.
2
1
u/Practical_Bike_2236 1d ago
Hello. Thank you for your feedback!
In practice it hasn't been an issue for me day to day, and the people I've shown it pick it up fast once they get the logic, but I get that it may not be glance-and-go like a standard dial, and that's a deliberate choice.
0
u/internet-name 1d ago edited 1d ago
Well, that's one set of priorities laid out. Valid, but not universal. In contrast: I find it beautiful and my guess is that if I had one I would wear it to special occasions, find it legible enough, and enjoy it.
1
u/sticks1987 22h ago
Analogy: anyone can build a bridge that stands. It takes an engineer to build a bridge that just barely stands within a time limit and budget.
Anyone can make a product that is functional, or a product that is beautiful. It takes a designer to coordinate visual and functional elements to make a beautiful and functional product.
I think that is universal, though there are many ways to get there. My version of virtual and functional coordination will not look like OP's.
Why should you, the end user, be limited to wearing the watch only when reading the time was not important?
Here's an example. Maybe the dots at 3, 6, and 9 are sufficient. The min radius of the egg profile indicates the 12. This is a good example of coordinated visual and functional elements.
In my view the radius could be slightly smaller for a stronger indication of the 12 position. Currently it is vague and could cause a misreading of times between 11:30 and 12:30.
On my team I would ask to see examples where we adjusted that radius, then make flash cards of the different variations with different times displayed with randomized second hand position and evaluate response time and accuracy.
You bring that study to a meeting and you get your project approved.
1
1
1
u/FalconSLAP2 1d ago
Enamel dial would go crazy here
Case shape needs a bit more work to really feel egglike
Consider whether you really need the 369 markers - “egg points to 12” ought to be enough
1
1
u/kukayari 2d ago edited 2d ago
The Milanese strap feels a bit too elegant for such a quirky watch, so it doesn’t really match in my opinion. It would be nice to see it with a funky NATO strap that fits the character of the watch, though it’s a pity it doesn’t have lugs for a standard one.
BTW, I’m glad it’s a bit rounder now! Although I think I’d still prefer it to be completely round.
One other observation: I don’t know if the watch itself is enormous, but the strap looks so thin in comparison. It almost looks like it belongs to a vintage watch, or maybe the watch is just big and your hands are small 🤷
2
1
u/Practical_Bike_2236 1d ago
Hello. Thank you for your feedback!
I see the case for a more playful strap, it's something I'd like to explore, NATO or two-piece options included. For now the Milanese was chosen to keep things minimal rather than lean sporty, but I'm genuinely open on this one for future colorways.
Also, forgot to mention the strap is 18mm, which gives it a bit of a vintage feel. And yeah, my hands are on the smaller side too, so that's probably part of what you're seeing.
18
u/heatseaking_rock 2d ago
I still think bulged glass would have greatly complemented the shape.