Originally Posted by
PIERS (UK)
I disagree. It's far more effective to have a full time team of designers, rather than subbing to an agency. I'd expect there would be a core internal team, but they'll rely on experienced consultants for challenging or new projects, to fill the gaps where the resources can't cope, or they need to buy in experience.
Not all vintage designs got it right. For the single design which works still today, there would have been ten times the amount of 'on trend' at the time designs that looked great then, but didn't last over the years. You get this with most design, some lasts, but most doesn't. We tend to design for the now and any design that can still look fresh in 30-40 years time is a bonus. Good designers (can) reference history, because they see what has lasted and still works, however what will be interesting is to see what is considered early 21st century classic in fifty years.
Watches first need to be designed inside, then out.
Get the structural integrity right then work on the aesthetics. However, like most (design) things, there is a commercial and time issue. If you're designing a watch, then it will be cheaper to use existing parts (DNA) which are either already manufactured, or quicker to make because the tooling has already been done. Small hands might either be intentional, or existing parts. If you design a dial, you have a visible area, it often helps to draw the diameter of the hands then work the dial from those, rather than do the dial first then hands second.
If you're looking at date windows, then most customers actually don't care.
I prefer 6H or 4:30, not 3H but some hate 4:30. A watch design might not work for you but it will work for ten other paying customers....
It's not about missing details, more working to a time sensitive a commercial budget. Design a watch yourself, rather than these 'idiots' and you may learn a thing or two :-)