Together with Adobe, this watch design uses CGI to showcase the textures of the crystals and landscapes!

The texture of wearable designs, like watches, has the ability to grab our attention even before we fully understand the design in the first place. I know I’m not the only one who can’t help but reach out to run my fingers over all the different fabrics when I cross them in department stores. The texture of the exterior of a product is what tells our brain whether or not we want to know more about it. In collaboration with Adobe, Jean-François Bozec was inspired by raw material surfaces such as obsidian crystals, natural aluminum and turned leather to design the Obsidian watch, his latest 3D visual concept.

The digital interface of the Obsidian watch is elevated with a progressive step that gives it an air of reserved elegance to match the subtly intricate textures of its watch straps. The iridescent nature of red obsidian is presented in Bozec’s design through the two-tone case. The watch case creates layers of shadow and draws inspiration from the matte textures of aluminum and iron. When attached to a vermilion red leather watch strap, the shadows remind those who wear the watch of its obsidian origin. In addition to crystals, Bozec also felt inspired by snow-capped mountains and other natural elements like stones. In order to evoke the image of snow, Bozec turned to CGI to develop a fabric for the watch band that mimicked the compact nature of snow, as he explains, “CGI was the perfect way to materialize the intimate emotions born from the rawness of nature. . The irregularities of the geological formations inspired the creation of the leather band. Likewise, the fabric loop tape derives from the lightness and softness invoked by snowy environments.

In addition to texture, through his 3D concept, Bozec also explored the role of technology in influencing the way people think and feel. Bozec goes further by saying: “My objective was to transpose the feelings provided by [a] substance… on a smart, non-intrusive portable device. With the current influx of smart technologies, too often a product’s texture design is sacrificed in the name of preserving the user’s technological experience – Bozec set out to create a compromise. While Bozec sees the Obsidian Watch project more as an “emotional visual experience” than a full-fledged product design concept, the truth is that it could get away with being both.

Creator: Jean-François Bozec