Why less matters
The clearest dial was not the first one we drew. It was the one left after asking each mark to justify itself.
Begin with the glance
A travel watch is often read while moving: an arrival board changes, a call begins, a train door opens. The second hour hand has to be found without decoding a crowded diagram. In the imagined Meridian studies, we moved the 24-hour track inward and gave the main hour markers more room.
Remove, then test
Reduction is not a reward in itself. A scale disappears only when the remaining information becomes easier to use. We compared the layouts at arm's length, in low light and while turning the wrist; the quietest version was also the most legible.
VELA and the V-72 movement are fictional watchmaking concepts. This article describes the design reasoning behind this portfolio project.
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