In case you comply with my writing, you recognize I’m an advocate for typography in watch design. It’s an often-overlooked aspect that may make or break a watch. Whereas I used to be creating my watch, typography designer Samuel Baker appeared on my radar. We ended up collaborating, leading to a completely tailored typeface for my fledgling watch firm. Samuel is deeply passionate in regards to the topic, which you instantly really feel while you communicate to him, so I figured who higher to share some insider insights on typography with us?
I lined the fundamentals of the subject on this earlier article. In case you are new to the fascinating world of watch typography, chances are you’ll need to begin there earlier than continuing with this interview.
How technical challenges affect typography
We bounce straight into the methods technical developments change dial kind. Once more, this builds on the data shared within the earlier article on the subject.
Thomas van Straaten (TVS): How did the technical challenges influencing watch typography change over the many years?
Samuel Baker (SB): You’ll be able to virtually focus on it by way of centuries, not many years! The pad-printing course of we talked about beforehand (aka tampography or décalque) has been round for the reason that late nineteenth century and continues to be — basically, at the very least — the predominant technique of printing onto watch dials. Earlier than that, dial markings have been principally both painted, enameled, or engraved by hand.
Some dials used a cartouche technique (which you continue to generally see right now), which is sort of a little utilized plaque, engraved with the maker’s identify or a dial numeral. However these early hand-painting and engraving strategies knowledgeable a whole lot of the types that we nonetheless see and acknowledge because the vernacular of watch typography, not least as a result of, at first, the metallic plates that entice the ink (the cliché) have been manually engraved, in order that they have the traits of engraved letterforms.
Later, chemical etching of these plates turned the norm, resulting in the photographic switch of designs, which permits for scaling. This will change the looks of the characters rather a lot as a result of they don’t should be drawn at a 1:1 scale (which, on a watch, may be very small). Cutting down will lead to cleaner, sharper strains, and it’s also possible to composite a number of parts in additional subtle methods. These days, paintings is created digitally, and the plates are engraved by laser. Nonetheless, the printing continues to be basically executed with an engraved plate and a gelatin or silicone pad (aside from cheaper digitally printed watches, like Swatch).
Usually, you may say that pad printing has turn out to be sharper and extra exact over time. However you might additionally argue that it has eliminated among the character that the imperfections and hand-drawn kind created.
How to take a look at typography
TVS: Are you able to inform us tips on how to consider watch-dial typography? Stroll us via the belongings you search for.
SB: If I can have a look at a watch with out being distracted by a careless little bit of kind, that’s a great begin! The typography must make sense throughout the general design of the watch. If there are indications, sub-dials, and so forth, what all of them imply ought to be clear, and you need to be capable of learn them. Basically, the sort is there to serve a objective. After that, it’s about execution — is it stunning, elegant, conventional, daring, novel, fashionable? What qualities is it attempting to convey different than simply the data? What’s acceptable for the model and the aim of the watch? What does it say to you? Do you want it? Does it evoke one thing that you just join with emotionally? Not each watch has to do this, after all. Stark performance may make for an amazing design.
TVS: What constitutes nice watch typography for you?
SB: Good watch-dial typography is like most different good typography — it ought to be legible, balanced, effectively spaced, and effectively laid out. It ought to perceive the context inside which it exists. What I imply is that it must be acceptable. It doesn’t should be reserved or conservative (and even legible, I suppose!); it might additionally simply be enjoyable or surprising. It may well simply make you smile while you look down at your wrist. I actually preferred the latest Paulin collaboration with OH no, a sort foundry in California.
For me, it turns into nice when all of it simply clicks and the dial format “sings.” Very difficult dials could be extraordinarily laborious to get proper, however so can quite simple ones.
Picture: The Watch Membership
TVS: What constitutes dangerous watch typography for you?
SB: Laziness. When a model hasn’t bothered. In case you’re a watch model utilizing Arial in your dial, you both don’t care about particulars, or you may’t see the distinction. Neither is an efficient look.
One other instance of dangerous apply that you just see on a regular basis is digital distortion/stretching of kind (normally to squeeze the letters/numbers into a particular house). Once you try this, the strokes of the font get tousled — they get thicker in a single a part of the character and thinner in one other. In case you’re a typographer, that stands proud like a sore thumb.
Picture: Bulang & Sons
In case you have a look at a classic Rolex date wheel, there will likely be three totally different quantity 2s — one for the two, one for 12 and 21, and one for the remainder of the 20s. It’s because you need to fill the date window to maximise the scale of the numbers for legibility. When drawn by hand, these 2s will all have the identical stroke thickness and really feel to their curves; it’s simply that they’re narrower or wider as required (fairly like utilizing a condensed or prolonged font however bespoke to the precise necessities of the design).
Most trendy manufacturers merely kind the numbers out and stretch them to suit the window aperture. The tall date window at 6 o’clock of the present Omega Aqua Terra line is an instance of this. Omega makes use of a model of Futura, a traditional modernist font, and distorting these geometric varieties to squeeze the numerals in is sort of jarring (to me, at the very least).
The present use of typography
TVS: What would you alter about the best way manufacturers deal with typography right now?
SB: I’d like extra manufacturers to provide the typography the identical degree of consideration they do to issues like ending, motion design, supplies, and so forth. Rent knowledgeable! Watches are extremely detailed and complicated issues with so many hand-crafted parts. Don’t short-cut the sort or use a word-processor font, particularly when it’s proper there, entrance and heart, each time you have a look at the watch. I discover it a disgrace that a few of Patek Philippe’s most interesting watches learn “TOURBILLON” on the dial in Arial. Once you have a look at the beautiful high quality of among the classic Stern Frères dials for Patek, it looks like a connection to watchmaking craftsmanship has been misplaced there.
I ought to point out that I feel a whole lot of younger manufacturers — the microbrands — are fairly robust of their design and typography. A variety of the time, these manufacturers have been based by somebody with a powerful sense of design and aesthetics; and while you’re a microbrand and don’t design in-house/proprietary actions or have 100 years of name heritage, design is without doubt one of the issues you may compete on.
Heuer Cortina — Picture: Watchurbia
TVS: Are you able to share with us some watches that completely nail the typography in your eyes?
SB: I noticed an exceptional Heuer Cortina on Instagram the opposite day. All the sort is rendered by hand and superbly spaced. Legibility is off the charts, and there’s even some aptitude within the particulars. It’s a flawless execution.
By way of trendy watches, the customized numerals of the Berneron Mirage 38 are an amazing piece of labor, actually subtle, and according to the watch. Nivada has managed to create classic revivals with out messing up the classic kind. I additionally need to point out the Grand Seiko SBGE285 and -283 GMTs, for which the model developed a brand new numeral typeface for the 24-hour bezel. After all, it’s closely impressed by the five-digit Explorer II, however it’s executed effectively, and it blends completely with the design as a complete.
Instance from VPC’s customized Venustas typeface
Designing kind for watches
TVS: How do you method designing a brand new typeface for a brand new watch? How do you translate model and design into kind?
SB: To start, it’s a dialogue in regards to the model’s values and its objectives for the watch. Which may contain a temper board of issues that the model likes and dislikes in different watches and different fields of design. Typically there’s a want for a really classic really feel, however generally it’s extra trendy, and generally it’s a mixture of the 2.
The concept of “traditional design, trendy construct” is sort of standard in the mean time. Individuals don’t essentially desire a classic reproduction; they need trendy efficiency and reliability, however they need a traditional or timeless look to the design. So it’s about discovering an execution that fulfills that temporary. There are specific cues you may add to a typeface that may instantly evoke a specific design language or interval. Altering a curve or a stroke ending could make one thing look many years older or many years extra trendy. It’s about balancing that till you get to the suitable feel and appear. Largely, it’s about attending to one thing that simply feels proper.
TVS: How about typography past the dial? Do you may have any ideas on bezels, case backs, and many others?
SB: Bezels are fascinating as a result of they’re typically among the largest sorts on a watch. Within the case of a diver’s watch, that typography is essential to the operate, probably even to somebody’s life in sure conditions. You definitely method it in another way from writing “Swiss Made” as small as you may on the backside of the dial!
Picture: Analog:Shift
There’s additionally the query of various supplies and strategies. Bezels aren’t pad printed. Markings are normally both anodized onto aluminum inserts, engraved, or molded in ceramic. That modifications among the type necessities. You don’t should cope with ink unfold, however it’s important to cope with different challenges, which could typically change your type. The identical is true for case backs. Conventional case-back engravings, if not hand engraved, usually tend to be monoline, no serifs, and many others. Historically, you design for the applying and the manufacturing processes.
Nonetheless, it was fascinating to use the VPC font to the design of the Sort 37HW’s case again. I used to be anticipating to wish to alter it a bit of due to the engraving course of and the curvature of the textual content, however it got here out very properly with minimal tweaks.
TVS: Is there the rest you wish to point out earlier than we end?
SB: I simply need to thanks for giving me some house to speak about this. I’m conscious that watch typography is a distinct segment inside a distinct segment. It’s definitely not an important factor on the earth, so I’m simply completely happy when anybody takes discover of it!
Closing ideas on typography
Samuel is true, after all, when he says it is a area of interest inside a distinct segment. Nonetheless, I really feel this doesn’t fairly do the topic justice. I really like how he factors to the emphasis on design and crafts in watchmaking. If manufacturers have a good time hand-beveling and guilloché work, why not additionally have a good time hand-lettering or kind design basically? In case you ask me, the influence is equally important.
I wish to thank Samuel Baker for taking the time to reply my questions. Hopefully, now we have made the topic a tiny bit extra distinguished within the collective horological conscience.
What watches do you notably like or dislike for his or her typography? Tell us within the feedback under!
