Fontaine Phenom was a watch concept that I saw through all the way from idea to first generation working prototype. I saw a gap in the market for a tool watch that employed a Swiss movement at a price point between $1500-$2000 USD. Most of the tool watches that I saw in the market at the time were either iconic, Swiss timepieces that were now considered “luxury” (ie. Rolex Submariner) and probably wouldn’t be worn for an active lifestyle, or they were at a lower price point (<$750) and had inferior finishes and movements. The Phenom aimed to be the perfect tool watch that employed a Swiss “work horse” self-winding, mechanical movement: an ETA 2824-2.
My process for this project went as follows: identify the gap in the market > identify the target audience and create a moodboard > develop concept sketches > create 2D rendering of desired colors > find an Asian manufacturer and convey product requirements > develop a CAD model to send to factory > factory interprets the model and creates a technical drawing based off of their capabilities > drawings are approved > prototype is created. In all, this process took about four months.
