The 2024 Waterloo Limited-Edition Charity Watch – Blender 4.0 Model and Render

In the early Autumn of 2023 I was tasked with designing a one-off special watch. This watch was to be an extraordinary piece that was to help raise funds for a great charity and very worthy cause: ‘The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch’.

The Lord mayors Big Curry Lunch is a yearly event that raises funds to help support veterans of all the armed forces and services of the UK, both regulars and reservists, and their families. The raises and provides money to the three key charities:

1. ABF The Soldiers’ Charity
2. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity
3. Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund

Since 2008 the Big Curry Lunch has been held every year and raised £3.3 million to help all member of the armed forces.

This Waterloo watch is to be raffled-off in a special prize draw during 2024 to help raise funds for this great Charity.

The Requirements:

The core specification for this watch was:

1. A limited-edition of only one watch!
2. It was to be designed around the 1815 battle of Waterloo.
3. It was to be a very classic design.
4. It was to have significance around the Battle of Waterloo but this was to be subtle.

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 Waterloo Watch Design:

I designed, mesh modelled, and rendered everything in Blender 4.0 (all images on this page and site are rendered images).

As you can see from the above image, traditional and subtle was the order of the day. The dial would be a layered build with a separate ring placed on top of the base watch dial for Roman Numeral numbers. A very subtle Union Jack set into the centre section gives this dial some reflective dimension and punch, giving this unique limited-edition automatic watch a central portion to catch the eye.

I created a rendition of the Lion from the ‘Lion’s Mound’ – A commemorative piece set on an artificial hill in the municipality of Braine-L’Alleud, Walloon Brabant, Belgium. I drew the Lion section using Beziers, then turned this into a mesh. This sits at the top of the dial in the 12 o’clock section.

A nice mix of cream, blues, and red sets this dial of this watch off I think, with the seconds numbers in red, I think they pop out well, what do you think?

Blued Moon hands I thought would suit this watch, with the seconds hand in gold. Then to balance the watch dial out, but to add another hint to Waterloo, I added the date of the famous battle ‘1815’ at the 3 and 9 section of the dial, but separated between the two.

The Subtle Placement of the Waterloo Name:

I of course had to place the name in this fantastic limited-edition watch, but it had to be unique and not too obvious, but where…can you spot it? In the centre bar of the the III Roman Numeral. It places nicely, names the watch, but is not too obvious, maybe secret unless you know it is there!

A Burgundy Tanner-Bates Leather watch strap would look nice (as above) so that is what it is receiving.

The Summary:

I completed everything in good time, everyone involved with the organising of the event and the conception of the 2024 Waterloo watch was over the moon with my design, and the watch prize draw was launched at the 2023 launch event in November to great applause.

I designed all the models, and all the above images are mesh models rendered, using Blender 4.0

I hope you like the design as much as I do. You can find out more about the ‘Lord Mayors Big Curry Lunch’ by clicking the Link. Please do learn about this great charity.

You can read more about the 2024 Waterloo Watch, the prize draw, and how you can buy tickets and take part by clicking the link below:

Enter the Prize Draw to Win the 2024 Waterloo Watch

Please do get involved, it is a great and worthwhile cause.

have a great and awesome day!

Kind regards,

Jay