"One of the things that struck me, says Ive, was how often Id look at my watch and have to look again quite soon afterwards, because I hadnt actually comprehended what the time was. If I had looked at something on my phone, because of the investment involved in taking it out of my pocket or my bag, I would certainly pay attention. I quite like this sense of almost being careless and just glancing. I think for certain things the wrist is the perfect place for this technology.
...
We didnt want the packaging to be a sort of shorthand for value, where the box needs to be big and we have to include expensive materials. Weve always liked the idea that if we are heavy in our thinking, we can be much lighter in the implementation. So theres huge virtue, I think, in keeping the packaging small: at least, it is the right choice environmentally, its easier to move things around and you dont end up with your wardrobes full of large watch boxes that you dont use. Thus, the box of the top-of-the‑range watch is aniline-dyed leather on the outside and a sort of ultra- suede on the inside so far, so conventional, but there is a connector at the back that turns it into a charging dock when the watch snaps into place thanks to magnetic technology. I like the idea that its all part of one experience, its all part of how we feel about something, and that each of these elements can play a positive and interesting role.
Nothing escapes this forensic level of thinking. Nothing is left to chance. Nothing goes uncalculated and untested. Before I leave, Ive holds up the watchs white outer box. Almost imperceptibly, the bottom begins to move, obeying the law of gravity that pulls it away from its other half. It is graceful, calming
and far from accidental. We work out what we feel is the optimum time for it to drop and then we back off that and work on the tolerances, and even work on the friction of the materials we use. I mean, thats fanaticism, he says, with a little smile.
