Blurring the lines between analog and digital. Current smartwatches lack the emotional and expressive value of analog watches, while analog watches lack the functional and contextual customization of a smartwatch. AND is an exploration on how these two worlds could come together to produce a product with the elegance and emotional relevance of an analog watch while maintaining the modern utility of a smartwatch.

The idea behind the name AND watch was an amalgamation of Analog and Digital. The word “and” is used to connect and join ideas and sentences, while the intention of my watch was to join the concepts of analog and digital together into a cohesive and elegant package.

- Dustin Lee

I feel that current smartwatches lack the emotional and expressive value of analog watches, while analog watches lack the functional and contextual customization of a smartwatch. AND is an exploration on how these two worlds could come together to produce a product with the elegance and emotional relevance of an analog watch while maintaining the modern utility of a smartwatch.

- Dustin Lee

I think smartwatches are fascinating objects. I own one and use it almost daily, however I still feel it lacks the same poetic and personal expression that a analog timepiece has. AND watch was an exploration on the idea of creating a watch with a similar “smart” features but will less of the austere technical aesthetic.

- Dustin Lee

AND watch went through several iterations before deciding upon the final form and interaction model. Several form studies were completed by jumping back and forth between sketch exploration and quick CAD models. Low fidelity physical models we also developed to validate scale and proportion of the final design.

- Dustin Lee

The watch was built in Solidworks, rendered in Keyshot, and post processing work was completed in Adobe Photoshop. AND watch was inspired by the melding of classical horology principles with modern consumer electronics. The design language of AND was intended to be a clean, comfortable, and logical interpretation of a modern timepiece, paying homage to the futuristic space inspired visions of Raymond Loewy. The form of the case presents a smooth convex surface that flows directly into the crystal creating a harmonious relationship between the seemingly disparate elements.

- Dustin Lee

Durning the design of the watch casing and lugs I produced at least 10 different high level concepts of how these design elements would interact. Once the final design of the case was established it was a lot easier to get down into the detailing of the dial area and how I would present the UI content.

- Dustin Lee

About Dustin Lee

Dustin Lee is currently an Industrial Design Intern at a fast-passed design consultancy in San Francisco, California. He works with products, graphics and interfaces to create enjoyable and meaningful interactions that bridge digital and analog formats. He appreciates thoughtful, honest and innovative solutions to problems and he's always striving to give his products a calming sense of inevitability. You can find more of his works on his Behance profile or website.