Julian Michaels unveils timepieces with ‘Wings of Infinity’ that remind us to forge ahead in a time of conflict and hope.
Independent watch brand Julian Michaels was borne out of the passion for deeper human connections earlier this year and has finally revealed two watch collections that come with unusual and unique watch hands which founder Yang coins, ‘Wings of Infinity’. His design philosophy is that since time stops for no man, anyone who seeks a dream or purpose should let nothing break his stride. Instead one should be in constant flight and pursuit of what the heart desires. The two new collections, Infinity One and Black Moon, can be browsed on their website, www.julianmichaelswatches.com and were released in October 2022 at Kickstarter.
Infinity One Collection
The first collection, ‘Infinity One’ is the designated ‘Day’ dress watch which is elegantly designed for everyday activities. Embossed on the caseback, the ‘Forever Fly’ mantra emphasises the uniquely designed ‘Wings of Infinity’ which fuse the infinity sign with the wings of an eagle. The off-kilt angles are not obvious to the eye at first but given time, one will notice the painstaking efforts put into the curvature and fluidity of the hour and minute hands, which imply movement even when stationary. The second hand comes with a twist literally and presents a more traditional version of the infinity symbol. Yang adds, “I notice most watches seem to look almost similar at first glance. I find this ironic as we look at the hands the most. That is why, in our design philosophy, we built everything around the hands.”
The case is made from tough 316L stainless steel, presented with a combination of brushed and highly polished treatment, for a classy yet robust exterior. The case was changed numerous times in pursuit of the aesthetic balance of dressiness and everyday wearability; the lugs were streamlined many times, millimeter by millimeter to achieve a less chunky feel. The dial maintains a simple matt texture to create space for the hands to freely roam. The concentric circular grooves on the outer ring embrace the shadows cast by the infinity wing motif created on the underside of the sapphire crystal.
Staying true to its ‘flight’ theme, the dial pays an inspired tribute to the Type B flieger watches from the 1940’s created for the Luftwaffe with its 60-minute chapter ring. On the dial are also highly polished applied indexes which are ‘Omnidirectional’ as they point outwards unconventionally to illustrate the many different roadmaps one can have out of life if equipped with dexterity, wisdom and decisiveness. The signed bracelet with butterfly clasp comes with a quick release mechanism for one to conveniently switch out bracelets on the go to adapt to the occasion at hand. Though not a sports model, it usefully features 100m water resistance for those who might take it for a swim or dip. Inside, the choice of movement is the reliable Japanese automatic NH-35 by Seiko. The Infinity One collection comes in three gorgeous colour variants – White, Maroon and Blue.
Black Moon Collection
The second collection, ‘Black Moon’, is meant for the night seekers who dwell and thrive better in the dark. Dressier and more mysterious, its black-as-night dial comes with an enamel finish which reflects brilliantly yet allows clear visibility of the watch face. Each of the three inaugural Black Moon variants is accentuated with different sky colours of red, purple and grey which envelopes the black dial with a gradient of light not unlike an eclipse. A sense of romanticism is created by the ‘Wings of Infinity’ hands as they sweep across a glossy dark dial, suggesting the night never really ends for night dwellers and thinkers.
Similar to the Infinity One collection, the Black Moon timepieces come with sapphire crystal with ‘Wings of Infinity’, Seiko automatic NH35 movement, as well as 100m water resistance. They also have a lug width of 20mm, the lugs on the stainless-steel case are more elegantly sized to fit the supple premium calfskin leather strap, with a signed pin-hole buckle.
Origins
Its story is not the typical light-hearted watchmaker’s story. The brand pays a tribute to lost connections. Yang recalls, “Early 2022, my mother handed me a Citizen watch which belonged to my late father. I forgot all about this beloved watch of his. You see, time stood still when he departed and I rued with deep sorrow all the time I could have had with my father. Now the master had departed since 2019, but this watch ticked away still with exuberance, even though it was all misty inside with condensation trapped from a sauna session years ago. This triggered me to make all my watch designs and doodles a reality, for Julian Michaels represents the time I wished I had with my father, and time I fear I cannot have enough of with my young son Julian.”
Lost but not forgotten it seems, as Yang is determined to not just make watches that celebrate life’s greater moments but also remember life’s tougher moments. Being a brand that seeks and urges meaningful human interaction, Julian Michaels will engage watch lovers all over the world through their unique personality and customer engagement activities, one of which is to design watches together with a lucky few based on their cherished life moments.
Julian Michaels strives to make beautiful, original timepieces which are finely crafted and built at accessible prices. From Yang, “I often found that people equate luxury with price when they should equate it with the value. Also when it is lowly priced, the quality is compromised. I do not accept that. Every watch I design, and we create is lovingly treated with care and attention to detail. For one, the design should always be different and original and the value should far exceed the price. This is what micro-luxury is about.” www.kickstarter.com
