If you have not seen them in person yet, Devon timepieces are arguably the most cutting edge and innovative watches made today. Truly unique timepieces with striking visuals and game changing technology. We were fortunate enough to speak with Scott Devon, Founder and Creative Director of Devon Works LLC. We wanted to know what inspires him, and drives his creative endeavors. What made you want to revolutionize the watch industry? I never set out to be a watchmaker and not sure if that defines what we do since we have other design projects outside of watches but its been a very successful venture and I take great pride in what weve accomplished so far and am excited about the direction of our future products. What obstacles did you face when creating such an innovative piece of machinery? I knew the Devon Tread 1 was a masterpiece but frankly was unsure if it could be made. All of the Swiss partners we tried to collaborate with said we were crazy and its not possible. Undeterred, we found a small boutique aerospace electronics company in California that took us on. Most of our suppliers are in the aerospace industry including the belt material which is glass reinforced nylon that is used as gauges in the 747. The aerospace connection resonated with international collectors and the watch media and have us credibility. Its where the impossible is possible and without our talented engineering team the Devon Tread watch wouldnt have been made. How did the watch market receive your early timepiece designs? The impact from our early prototypes was rapid. We were the only American made watch ever nominated by the Swiss for watch of the year. Watch Journal gave us the cover of their magazine. Collectors as far away as Singapore gave us orders and Tourneau in NYC wanted to be the world launch retailer. What spawned the idea of building a kinetic sculpture? Ive always been inspired by Kinetic sculpture like the ones George Rickey made. I believe our watch has that aspect with an energy that is unsurpassed by any watch ever made. How was the Belt technology developed? Using belts to tell time was inspired by the industrial revolution and the use of conveyor belts. Much of our design has that industrial feel particularly our popular Steampunk edition. What is your creative/collaborative process like? Im very tactile and not classically trained as a designer. I use simple sketch drawings on paper to communicate concepts. My current Chief of Design, Marko Petrovic from Serbia takes the ideas and makes them into computer imaging which he makes look better than a photograph. Marko is classically trained as an artist and is also a visionary and pleasure to collaborate with. How far did you stray from the original concepts once engineering and finance were taken into account? One of my tenets is to keep with the original design intent or just not do it. Therefore, I dont really listen when for some reason someone wants me to compromise a design. Creating a variety of cutting-edge machines is a dream to most people. How did you manage to make this possible? Have you ever been compared to Tony Stark, (Iron Man)? Tony Stark been mentioned a few times which I find flattering but my work is very solitary and unfortunately nobody has asked me to fight Superheros...yet. Lol What designers, and what designs do you admire? I have an extensive list of designers, artists and architects that I love. But the legendary Luigi Colani comes to mind. He works in a imagined world that doesnt exist and my ambition is to have a gallery of prototypes like his in the future. What do you see for the future of Devon? For the future, Im working on another masterpiece that we call project Adam. It will take what weve done to date to a new level. Im always working on something that is 2-3 years away from being made so its seems like the conceptual future more than tangible reality. Im learning that you must listen to what a brand wants to become. I view it as a separate entity and works clearer if I dont steer it as much as help it evolve. I just wish the future could be here tomorrow, Without getting older of course! Look for images of our visit to Devon Works HQ, and our collaboration with Devon, both coming soon!
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 02:12:26 +0000
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