Design • UNIMATIC WATCHES

FLUENT IN ITALIAN

Sales — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:26:09 +0000

UNIMATIC introduces: Fluent in Italian, an homage to Bruno Munari’s iconic “Supplement to the Italian dictionary”.

That whirl of hands that only we Italians know how to do is sometimes worth a thousand words. Those expressions, often taken to the extreme, becoming grotesque -“ too much”, have allowed us to make ourselves understood wherever we go. Charged with meaning, they reveal the distinctive trait of our personalities, reinforced by the spontaneity of the moment. Every time an Italian speaks using their characteristic gestures, their audience will observe, understand and empathise.

Painter, sculptor, graphic and industrial designer, artist in the broadest sense, Bruno Munari was one of the most independent and influential figures in the history of Italian and international design.

In “Supplemento al dizionario italiano”, one of his finest work, Munari talks about the unique world of Italian gestures. This new version of his tribute to Italian culture is an homage to his commitment to design. As Bruno, UNIMATIC prefers a simple way to communicate.

Le estremità delle cinque dita si riuniscono rapidamente e formano un cono col vertice in alto. La mano può restare ferma o essere scossa più o meno velocemente, secondo che la domanda è fatta con gentilezza o con impazienza. Molto usato a Napoli.
The tips of all fingers of one hand are brought sharply together to form an upward-pointing cone. The hand can either be held motionless or be shaken more or less violently up and down, according to the degree of impatience expressed. Very common in Naples.
L’extrémité des cinq doigts s’unit rapidement en forme de cône au sommet dressé. La main peut rester immobile ou s’agiter puls ou moins vite selon que la demande est faite gentiment ou avec impatience. Très employé à Naples.
Dei fünf Fingerspitzen werden mit der Spitze nach oben, eine Trichter formend, rasch vereinigt. Dei Hand kann dabei still gehalten oder hin und her geschüttelt werden, mehr oder weniger schnell, ja nachdem, ob die Frage mit Liebenswürdigkeit oder Ungeduld vorgebracht wurde. Diese Geste wird besonders in Neapel gebraucht.

Che vuoi?
What do you expect?
Que veux-tu?
Was willst du?

“Everybody is able to complicate, only a few can simplify.”
Bruno Munari

Find the original Brunari “Supplemento al dizionario italiano” below.

ISBN code: 9788886250917

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Exploring the captivating archives of Fondazione Castiglioni

Sales — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:50:34 +0000

Achille Castiglioni was an iconic Italian architect and designer of furniture, lighting, radiograms and several other objects. In March 1944 he graduated from the Politecnico di Milano; following the war, Castiglioni joined the architectural design practice that his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo had started with Luigi Caccia Dominioni in 1938. Much of their work was in exhibition design, but they also carried out a number of architectural projects, including the reconstruction in 1952–53 of the Palazzo della Permanente, which had been destroyed by bombing in 1943.

Livio Castiglioni left the practice in 1952. From then until Pier Giacomo died in 1968, Achille and worked as a team, exploring Marcel Duchamp’s concept of the “ready-made” by incorporating and repurposing existing objects into new designs. After the death of Pier Giacomo, Castiglioni worked alone.

Together with Pier Giacomo, in 1957 he designed “Sella” and “Mezzadro” stools for Zanotta, as well as the “Cubo” couch for Arflex. In 1959, they began working with Kartell, designing lighting and furniture, including a collection of tables and stools called “Rochetto”. The Castiglioni brothers designed the “Lierna” chair for Cassina, and the “Taraxacum” chandelier for Flos in 1960. Also for Flos, in 1962 they designed both the “Toio” lamp, assembled from “ready-made” surplus hardware, and the “Arco” lamp, consisting of a long-arched stainless-steel cantilevered support, an adjustable shade made of perforated spun aluminium, and a heavy marble base. These projects were followed in 1964 by the “Splüghen Braü” pendant light, and the “RR 126” radiogram for Brionvega.

From 1969 he taught architectural and design subjects, first at the Politecnico di Torino, and then, from 1980, at the Politecnico di Milano. As a professor of design, he advised his students, “If you are not curious, forget it. If you are not interested in others, what they do and how they act, then being a designer is not the right job for you.” Throughout his lifetime, Castiglioni received many awards and distinctions for his designs, including 8 x Compasso d’Oro, as well as the Compasso d’Oro Career Award “for having raised design to the highest values of culture through his irreplaceable experience.” His designs are held in museum collections around the world, and several books have been published about his life and work.

In 1997, the MoMA in New York staged a retrospective of his life and work titled: “Achille Castiglioni: Design!” curated by Paola Antonelli; in 2014 the city of Milan named a street after the three Castiglioni brothers.

Museums holding Castiglioni’s works include, amongst others, MoMA in New York, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, Staatliches Museum für angewandte Kunst in Munich, Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the ADI Design Museum here in Milan.

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Introducing our new Variable Font System

Simone Nunziato — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 10:38:41 +0000

In recent years, many modern analogue watches have placed less emphasis on typography in their design. This is because the primary function of an analogue watch is to tell time, and the focus is often on creating an attractive and legible display of the time, rather than creating a unique typographic identity that can be combined with all the above.

Typography plays a crucial role in watch design because it is the primary means of displaying information on the watch face. The typeface, font size, and layout must be legible and easy to read at a glance, while also fitting within the limited space available on the watch face. Additionally, the typography can also be used to convey the design aesthetic and brand identity of the watch. A well-designed typography can make the watch look more elegant and sophisticated and also make it easier to read the time and other information.

Watch design might be considered to be very particular. The typography of watches even more so. While the typography supports the general aesthetic of a watch it also serves a very specific need: Readability. A watch face offers very limited space within the numbers must perform. Space that is shared with hands, date windows, graphics or chronographs. More often than not numbers are covered by the hands making them even harder to read. Or they need to stand the test of being upside down on rotational bezels. Additionally the surrounding light might be less than perfect, or visibility under water may be really low. Distinctive forms and precise type settings are the bare minimum for perfect watch typography.

The UNIMATIC number typefaces reference this traditional lettering found on such classics of military watch making. Yet they combine this with more recent examples of watch typography as found in the most famous recent watches. These rather modern and geometric number styles reference a Bauhaus and German »DIN-Norm« aesthetic: Perfectly round inner forms with almost no line contrast. By using the most basic geometric forms such as circles and straight angles these kind of typefaces feel very familiar and established therefore emanating clarity and reliability.

Mixing the two styles in the Unimatic numerals typefaces created a blend of human and technical feel. Something that is very inherent to UNIMATIC watches: Technical precision for very human experiences.

Keeping the balance between the limited space and optimal readability is a constant area of conflict to the watch designer. Historically this led to very specific letter forms in watch numbers very obvious in the number four. The dirty dozen watches are a perfect example of this lettering tradition. While none of the manufacturers followed a strict typeface/lettering template and each watch has slightly different number forms, the general style is transparent and consistent.

Henning is the founder of Character Type in 2018. He is a professional type and communication designer, typographic consultant, creative director and lecturer. After having studied in Potsdam and Melbourne he published his first typeface family Haptic for which he won the prestigious TDC2 award. He has been responsible to design typefaces for brands such as Schwäbisch Hall, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the e-commerce giant OTTO or the publishing house MedienUnion. Henning Skibbe is a member of the Art Directors Club (ADC) Germany.

Using only one font design in the watch face can enhance clarity in all light conditions by providing a consistent and unified look. Some pros of using only one font design include:

Consistency: Using a single font design throughout the watch face can create a cohesive and consistent look, making it easier for the viewer to quickly and easily read the time.
Legibility: Using a single font design can make it easier to read the time, especially in low light conditions. A consistent font design can also make it easier for the viewer to quickly recognize the time, even at a glance.
Brand Identity: Using a single font design can also help to create a unique brand identity for the watch. A consistent font design can be associated with the brand, making it easy for the viewer to recognize the watch as a specific brand.
Simplicity: Using a single font design can make the watch face look simple and easy to read, which is important for a device that’s main function is telling time.
Flexibility: Using a single font design can also make it easier to adapt the watch face to different dial sizes and different font applications

By using only one font design in the watch face, a designer can create a watch face that is easy to read, consistent and has a strong brand identity.

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