The Lindum – A watch designed for Harold Pinchbeck Ltd

In the middle of 2023 I was tasked with designing a new watch for Harold Pinchbeck Ltd. The core specification for this watch was:

1. This was to be a very limited edition of only 100 watches.
2. It was to be a watch with design influence around an icon of the City of Lincoln.
3. It was to follow on from the very successful ‘Lincoln’ watch, which had all sold, but which customers were still requesting.
4. No sub dials for this watch, just a very classic design with centre seconds, but one that of course needs to stand out!
5. The watch would be named ‘The Lindum Watch’, the ancient Roman name for the City of Lincoln.

What was required of me to deliver:

1. Full design of the watch concept.
2. Full build of all size critical mesh models(built in Blender modelling software)
3. Delivery of a full set of finished 4k renders showing all aspects and detail of the design.
4. Delivery of all required .SVG design files for manufacture of the watch dial, watch-back, and watch hands.

The Main Central Design:

I got my head down and started thinking about the core design. What design best represents the historic City of Lincoln, and is well known & respected beyond the bounds of the great city itself? We agreed it should again take much of its influence form the iconic Lincoln Cathedral, The main face should again incorporate the famous Bishops Eye Window:

The Lindum Watch Back Design:

And for the watch back. rather than a painting, this time the iconic Dean’s Eye would be used, unless of course the customer wanted a see-through exhibition back. This could be achieved by using a detailed painted disc set into the watch back. This back design would be painted in a traditional way using a pad painted technique; essentially the design is cut into a metal painting pad for the very best definition and detail:

The Lindum Dial:

The watch dial would be etched and pad painted onto a brass base, so the Bishop’s Eye detail would stand out in a punchy but beautiful way. I wanted the dial paint detail to incorporate deep blues, reds, and creams for that rich luxury but historic look.

I didn’t want the Bishop’s Eye design cut into by the company logo and brand name this time, so the decision was made to place it down in the 6 o’clock position. Of course being named the ‘Lindum watch’, it made sense to use Roman numerals on the dial. After some time of adjusting various design combinations and plenty of 3D mesh modelling… the new Lindum design was born:

The Final Design Images:

The Lindum watch, a stunning timepiece, made its debut towards the end of 2023, and I must say, I am thoroughly pleased with its exquisite design. Not only am I satisfied, but the company and our esteemed customers, who are now receiving their Lindum watches, are equally delighted. Timely delivery was crucial for us, and I am pleased to report that everything was executed seamlessly, ensuring that all deadlines were met. The release of the watch went off without a hitch, making it a truly successful design project from start to finish.

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction and outline to the process of designing a watch. I also hope you like the design:).

Feel free to comment or ask any questions, all will be appreciated.

Until next time.

Kind regards,

Jay