hello, everyone. my name is zach raven i am a product designer in michigan. this is my first post on the site, and i wanted to introduce a project i’ve been working on. i am starting my own line of watches and i wanted to get feedback from your community. rvndsgn is a new boutique watch brand started in 2011. rvndsgn watches are the first of their kind, completely built using the latest in 3d rapid-prototyping technology. designed in stainless steel, the beauty of the manufacturing process shows the story of its creation through subtle grain on the case, allowing each watch to be unique. our watches are completely hand assembled in the united states using high quality swiss eta movements, solid rapid-prototyped stainless-steel, and genuine italian leather.
I like the feel of the watch. But I think it is really hard when you are selling it on a 3d model alone. I would like to see pictures of a finished proto just to see the final surface and finish on the strap before commenting to much more.
Also the propotion on the thickness of the body of the watch looks very thick to me. Putting a final proto on a wrist would also help with sense of propotion and scale.
3d models produce very attractive images but I fear your surfacing is not going to be as sublet as shown in your image. Another huge concern for me would be the back is printed also and might be very rough on the skin. I think it is possible to polish this after the printing is done I would think about maybe doing that.
Also since you are 3d printing why did you chose such a rudimentary shape that could be made a number of different ways?
Just so you know I am a fan and I am thinking of buying one. But the points above bothered me enough not to invest at such an early point with your company.
And just so you are aware of it, this post is in violation of CORE77 posting standards. Since the product is now currently not available we are allowing this topic to continue as a “Project”. But you are walking thin line… .
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What Lew is getting as is this is really more of a work-in-progress kind of forum. Since the desk is done, the comments might not be as beneficial.
Personally, I like the IDEA, bit I don’t see the idea manifest in the design. The design does not seem to take advantage much of the rollers process in terms of thongs that could not be made otherwise.
thanks for your comments. ill try to answer some of your concerns. i am in the process of making some prototypes and hope to have them on the site soon, but probably not before the kickstarter campaign ends. the thickness is a little much right now and that is governed by minimum material thicknesses in the 3d printing process, although i am working to remove what i can. i can assure you that the images are representative of the final product. the metal printing has a texture, but is not rough. after printing, the producers tumble the part in corn husks to deburr and slightly polish and break edges. the same for the back part. its hard to describe without seeing it, but it is not rough on the skin.
as for the shape, i wanted this watch to tell the story of its manufacturing process subtly. i wanted it to look like a watch, not some crazy shape or anything with unnecessary geometry, just because the printer can do it. i want the watch to be watch that is made with a new process, and tell the story through the printing grain, as opposed to something cliche in the 3d printing world. i hope that makes sense. thanks for your comments.
I am guessing iPad spelling correct gone mad once again. Please turn off the ipad/iphone spelling correction, better to see it mis-spelled than impossible to glean the meaning.
zraven,
I love the sintering process, especially now that titanium is possible. However, your shapes are so standard, lathed shapes that could have been made easily a hundred years ago. There is no connection with the new process, with one off creation. the grain is not enough of a distinction, for me. As watches, they are too standard, too common, for me.
If there is a site/service/shop that can CNC lathe shapes to order it would give a more direct path to your design and immediate process intention.
Phew, iPhone post. I’m sorry about that. I was on the go, but that is no excuse.
What I was ham-fistededly attempting to communicate is that right now they feel like clean, minimal watches, but they seem like they could be manufactured in the typical CNC watch manufacturing process. It would really make the concept sing if there was some evidence of the process in terms of creating something that literally could be made no other way.
Maybe it is there and I’m not seeing it in the photos…
Any snap shots of your design process? Iterations? You will get much more feedback.
Without that, this reads like an advert for your kickstarter effort.
for ideas on how to really leverage the 3D printing technology. Forms like this cannot be created anyway else. If you are going to bank on the idea that your using a new technology to create this product. Iy should really use it to the full effect. As everyone else mentioned I can get a very similar effect on a lathe. Really push the 3D printing aspect of the idea.