AMS Design Blog » Watches and Jewellery

The Camden Watch Company Automatic Range

Anneke Short — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:14:58 +0000

After over a year of work, I’m so very happy to be able to finally share our latest project, The Camden Watch Company Automatic Range, live on Kickstarter now.

The overarching idea inspiring the design of the dial comes from traction engines, a Victorian invention that revolutionised manual labour.

The numbers and surrounding frame are inspired by the front plate found on these engines, and the machined pattern in the centre of the dial is inspired by the detailing found on Victorian steam engines in general.

As an added industrial touch we have used a circular brushed metal finish on the dial, ensuring that although it is still classic, it is also a thoroughly modern design.

VIEW ON KICKSTARTER NOW.

The Best of Watch Design – Baselworld 2013

Anneke Short — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:00:27 +0000

As a product design studio with an emphasis on watches, and coming from a watch design background myself, Baselworld is an absolute must. You get to see brand new collection, get an idea of upcoming trends and network like a crazy person.

Here’s a very quick snapshot of my favourites at this year’s show in no particular order (and for those of you who know the fair well, you won’t be surprised to learn that most of them are from the Palace).

1) Jacquet Droz – Charming Bird

Since being able to get a quick behind the scenes viewing of the Bird Repeater my love for this brand has only grown stronger. The watches are amazing and this one is no exception.

2) Valbray Watches

This watch features a sort of closing and opening aperture. OK – it sounds a bit gimmicky, but in actual fact the watch is very well designed and the sliding open/close function is really fun to play with.

3) Shinola – The Runwell

For first appearance at Baselworld, this ‘Made in USA’ brand seemed to go down a storm. At $550, it is expensive for a Quartz, but I’m all for their manufacturing ethos of wanting to bring industry back to Detroit.

4) Ressence – Type 3

I’d seen the Ressence watches a few times before this Baselworld, but this new liquid-filled version is just amazing.

5) Manufacture Royale – Androgyne

Again, this is a brand that we’ve seen a few times, but seriously – check out that crazy ass case.

Jewellery: Theo Fennell’s Masterworks

Anneke Short — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:00:52 +0000

Theo Fennell is a great boutique British jewellery brand. Founded in 1982, the jewellery ranges from everyday type jewellery to more upmarket fine jewellery.

And then there are the Masterworks.

These pieces are unbelievable. So far this ‘collection’ comprises brooches, pendants and rings but the rings are by far my favourite. Each ring is unique and has a story to tell, ranging from the fantastically whimsical ‘Wind in the Willows’ to the slightly more classical Rainforest ring.

Except it’s not classical at all… Because it opens up… And there’s a tiny frog inside.

Make sure to get a closer look on their website, it’s well worth it.

Product Spotlight: The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz

Anneke Short — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Now this, ladies and gentleman, is what I call a watch. Seriously, this is one of the most amazing little piece of mechanics that I have ever seen.

Back in the 1700s, Pierre Jaquet Droz was one of the finest makers of automatons (little mechanical robots) around. He also made watches and this watch brand still exists today. They make some of the most beautiful and intricate pieces on the market.

This watch uses the most popular type of automaton, the mechanical bird, to help bring time to life. Priced at a mere $493,500, this watch is sadly a little out of my current price range, but if there are any wealthy readers of this blog out there, it’s nearly Christmas, just sayin’…

Product Spotlight: Oldies Ring by Ewelina Bocian

Anneke Short — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I am such a huge fan of these ‘Oldies’ rings by Belgian Ewelina Bocian. In her version, inside the brass frames are little paper maps showcasing specific streets, which is lovely, but there is so much scope as to what could be done. I would love to see a story, or a poem perhaps, written by the giver of the ring to the receiver, or is that too mushy?

You can see more work by Ewelina here.

Product Spotlight : Concrete Watches by Dzmitry Samal

Anneke Short — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Take a look at this series of watches by Product Designer Dzmitry Samal. The cases are made out of concrete and the movements are Swiss Quartz.

I really like how different they are to other watches on the market and I LOVE the pop of colour on the dial, but it would take a special kind of person to actually get away with wearing one.

“It is the main male jewellery and should reflect the personality and strength of its owner. I chose concrete, a noble, modern, honest and robust material, the stuff our megapolis are made of.”

You can see more of Dzmitry’s work here.

Product Spotlight : Bad Passion Jewellery

Anneke Short — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Bad Passion is a quirky jewellery brand from the UK that offers an eclectic range of pieces from giraffe bangles to crow skull pendants.

I have to say I am especially fond of the bird claw pendants, which by the way is bloody huge.

You can visit their website here.

Product Spotlight : HYT H1 Hydraulic Watch

Anneke Short — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I ran through the archive of my blog the other day and realised that for a product designer, I don’t really post about products very much. So I’ve decided that the Love/Hate posts that I normally do on Wednesday’s are going to be replaced by a product design post, where each week I will highlight either a designer, a brand or a great new product that I think you will enjoy.

For the first of this new series, I want to share with you a ridiculously crazy watch. I saw this watch back in March at Baselworld (a huge watch and jewellery trade show in Switzerland), but chances are that if you don’t work in the watch world then you haven’t heard about it yet.

Swiss watch brand HYT (Hydro Mechanical Horologists) have created the H1, a watch that features a tube of florescent liquid that is pumped by bellows attached to miniature pistons that subsequently indicates the hour. I won’t talk about the technical details too much, they have all the information on their website if you want to find out more. I just think that it’s a fascinating watch, the concept is different enough to be interesting, and yet they have managed to keep a very clear, clean layout that means you don’t have to spend hours learning how to read the watch before understanding it.

And you will be happy to know that it is a bargain, with a retail price starting at around a measly $50,000 US. I’ll take two.

Love/Hate : Leap Year

Anneke Short — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

So today is the 29th February, traditionally the one day a year when women can propose to men. Although the tradition doesn’t make as much sense as it once did, it’s still a fun idea to reverse the more stereotypical approach of men asking women.

With practically the whole engagement ring market being geared towards women, I can’t help but wonder what these women pick to give to their men in lieu of a giant diamond ring.

So here is a round-up of some rings that could fit the bill, and quite a few that couldn’t but that just really made me laugh.

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Love / Hate : Food Jewellery

Anneke Short — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

Today’s pick for love/hate is food jewellery. Not real food made into jewellery of course, just jewellery made to look like food. Part of me loves this trend and part of me really doesn’t. It’s fun and cute but can easily turn tacky, and this is coming from someone who has designed many a food based charm so I should know.

Example being a cupcake, cute, a whole cake complete with candles… not so much. Have a look of some of the pieces below by Shay Aaron, which are a perfect example of what I mean. In this instance, the fact that they are incredible tacky just adds to the charm of them, and I have to say I find quite a few of these pieces utterly adorable.