XS Horizon 手錶 by Dabi Robert is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award 金獎 in 腕錶設計 Competition Category.

金腕錶· 2023

XS Horizon 手錶

by Dabi Robert

Client: Ziiiro

A' Design Award 金獎 Winner in 腕錶 Category

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Colors

The Design

About XS Horizon 手錶

XS Horizon 腕錶採用不同的方式顯示時間，旨在為該系列推出一款較小的男女皆宜的版本。為了可視化當前時刻並區分過去與未來，腕錶採用了一條穿越時空的線條。過去以隨著偏離現在而逐漸褪色的色調描繪，而未來則以黑暗代表。該項目的目標是打造一系列適合所有性別的緊湊型腕錶。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 金獎

XS Horizon 手錶是 A' Design Award 金獎得主，這是授予一流、絕妙而傑出設計的極為崇高的認可。金獎得主是極具創新、極富遠見且璀璨奪目的創作，反映出其設計師的天才、智慧與才幹。預計XS Horizon 手錶將成為一項備受讚譽、引領潮流、氣勢恢宏的發明，帶來前所未有的價值。這件贏得 A' Design Award 金獎的設計是一個壯觀而受人敬重的項目，極大地造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。XS Horizon 手錶激起強烈的渴望，喚起激情，鼓勵創造力，令我們著迷。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The XS Horizon is a unique wrist watch that offers a smaller unisex size to the brand's lineup. The watch uses a sharp line moving through time space to visualize the present moment while separating the past and future. The past is represented with a shade of color that fades into oblivion as it diverges from the present, while darkness symbolizes the unknown future.
Dimensions & Packaging: This watch features a 316l stainless steel casing with a matte finish, available in Rose Gold or Black options with pvd color. The casing is 9.7mm thick and 31mm wide, with a twist-lock, matte-finished 316l stainless steel case back. The watch face consists of a solid gradient hour disc and a transparent gradient minute disc. The Milanese mesh strap is 16mm wide and comes with a tool-free quick change mechanism. The watch is powered by a Japanese Miyota 2026 quartz movement and has a hardened mineral crystal glass. The battery lasts approximately 2 years, and the watch is water-resistant up to 5 atm.
Tags: watch, wrist watch, ziiiro, time, xs, disc, horizon
Production Technology: Instead of using hands, the Japanese Miyota quartz movement drives two transparent synthetic discs, which are printed with multiple layers each. The order and opacity of each layer is important to ensure that the gradients are readable with every alignment. The watch casing and strap are made of 316l stainless steel, and pvd color is used for the rose gold and black models. Additionally, the strap features a quick change mechanism at the spring bar.
Design Challenge: Over the years, the brand often received the customer feedback that there is demand for a smaller watch. So Robert designed a new casing that is just three quarters the size of all our existing casings. The design is oriented at one of their best selling models, with a refined and flatter appearance. He also developed a new concept for the watch face, which resembles one of the existing models a little bit, but works different technically. For this new dial design, it was necessary to experiment with printing. Not only finding the right Pantone color hues, but also the right order of printing the layers and opacity.
Research: The brand ZIIIRO is all about unique ways of telling the time. We are aware that the purpose of a traditional wrist watch has evolved from time teller into a status symbol or accessory for expressing one's personality and fashion style. In order to figure out the fashion part, we exhibited at the Berlin fashion week 4 times, where we could get feedback from all over the world. After additional market research by making polls and looking at our customer base, we discovered that a large portion of our fans is affiliated to the creative industry. Since being creative is our credo, it shows that we are doing something right.
Inspiration: The aim of the project was to create a range of compact wrist watches suitable for all genders and specifically anyone who desires a smaller watch. The dial design was inspired by an existing model using a disc and a regular hand, but for this version, it was modified to a new concept featuring two gradient-filled discs. This design not only aligns with the concept of past, present, and future but also produces a more uniform appearance.
Project Duration: The project started in 2022 in Germany & Hong Kong. It took about half a year until we could finalize the product. It was soft-launched in our own shop im March 2023.
Operation Flow: Time can be set by pulling out and turning the crown. Time is indicated by two gradients: the one with the solid line shows the minutes, the other one underneath shows hours. To keep the visual appearance minimal, there are no markers. Setting the current time is done like on any traditional watch by turning the crown until the hour and minute hand reach the correct position. The watch strap can be easily removed and replaced by pulling the little lever to the side. The battery has a lifespan of about 2 years and can be replaced by twisting the case back counter clockwise.
Team Members: Robert Dabi
Image Credits: Robert Dabi