Japanese design duo YOY celebrates the futuristic feel of the 1980s with the True Square Undigital, one of four new watches set to launch during Rado Design Week on Dezeen next week.
Working with Swiss brand Rado, Tokyo-based designers Naoki Ono and Yuki Yamamoto have created a watch that is analogue in function, but has the appearance of a digital watch.
The True Square Undigital is an analogue watch that emulates a digital display
Here, the angular bars used in the seven-segment displays of digital watches are instead used to form the hands of a clock face.
These elements are bright white, while the rest of the watch is black, allowing them to stand out. This creates a bold aesthetic, akin to the futuristic designs that dominated in the 1980s. Angular white bars, typical of digital watches, are here used to form the watch's hands
Simple yet clever, the design is typical of YOY's work. Since founding their studio in 2011, Ono and Yamamoto have become known for their novel approach to product design.
With the motto, "between space and object", the pair like to place as much focus on the context of their work as they do on the objects themselves.
Among their best-known designs are Canvas, a chair that looks like a two-dimensional artwork, and YOYLight, a lamp that creates uses projected light to create the impression of a shade.
A white Super-LumiNova finish ensures the hands stand out
The True Square Undigital is the duo's first watch design. It launches next w...