RUKO'S CUTTING-EDGE WAYS
GENDERLESS DESIGN BREAKS NEW GROUND
The launch of Issey Miyake Watch in 2001 came with a creative project involving leading designers such as Ichiro Iwasaki, Tokujin Yoshioka, Satoshi Wada and Nao Tamura.
The collaborations produced some cool watches such as the C, TO, 1/6 and W models that reflect the edgy spirit of the Miyake Design Studio, established in 1970.
Berlin-based Konstantin Grcic has always been attracted to Issey Miyake’s cutting patterns that are constructed in their own abstract way instead of adapting to the shape of the human body.
When asked to join the Japanese brand’s creative watchmaking project, he subjectively preferred a hexagon as a shape for his design, whose refinement resulted in the new genderless Roku model.
Roku is the Japanese word for six, referring to the watch’s hexagonal silhouette. Grcic’s design, however, is actually more complex than it looks as he draws upon the correlation of two geometries: a hexagon and a circle.
“The six sides of the hexagon relate to the 12 hours of the dial. The round watch face symbolises the circular movement of time,” said Grcic. “The two strong shapes are in harmony with each other while keeping certain tension between them. Just like the notion of time: the continuous passing of time on the one hand, the punctuation of certain events on the other.”
Trained as a cabinet maker, the German designer broadened his horizons by attending the Royal College of Art in London. His award-winning designs include the Mayday lamp with a practical handle and two spikes to wind up a cable, and the Myto cantilever chair conceived as monoblock plastic injection moulding.
Chair One is constructed like a football, with a number of flat planes assembled at angles to each other, creating a three-dimensional form. The structure appears like a mix of shapes, including an irregular hexagon.
Roku’s hexagonal case boasts a beautiful contrast between the simple, linear form of the front view and the gently curved side view. With Lumibrite-coated indexes and hands, the dial is available in silver, black or grey while the strap comes in tanned calf leather or stainless steel bracelet.
“Once the principle geometry had been established, the design went through a long process of refinement. A watch needs thorough attention to detail — not only because of its small scale. I wanted Roku to become a precision tool, a real time-keeping device,” he said.