stuart semple creates a watch that smiles at you instead of telling the time

"Happy Time operates as a small, conceptual sculpture for the wrist, offering a slowed, ambiguous experience of duration. At first glance, the watch reads as almost empty. Numerals and hands on the dial are replaced by a black smiley face that rotates slowly, completing a full turn once every hour, while a small silver dot marks a twelve-hour cycle. This minimal design provides only the loosest indication of passing time, resisting precision by design."

"The steel case of the watch is finely machined and balanced for everyday wear, while a high-clarity crystal lens gives the rotating elements a floating presence. A Japanese Miyota movement drives the mechanism, maintaining consistency without drawing attention to itself. Materials are selected for longevity and tactility, with recyclable components used throughout. An optional crystal caseback exposes the movement, reframing the watch as a transparent kinetic object rather than a sealed instrument."

Happy Time is a wearable artwork that sidesteps conventional measurement to prioritize pause and perception. The dial replaces numerals and hands with a slowly rotating black smiley that completes one revolution per hour and a small silver dot marking a twelve-hour cycle, offering only a loose sense of passing time. The face is coated in an ultra-matte Black 4.0 surface that absorbs light and flattens depth. A finely machined steel case, high-clarity crystal lens, Japanese Miyota movement, recyclable materials, and an optional crystal caseback position the object as a durable, tactile kinetic sculpture for everyday wear.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine