August 5, 2010 at 9:05 am

A Watch Like You’ve Never Seen: Tread 1 by Devon

by twistedsifter

Have you seen the latest luxury watch? It’s a battery-driven timepiece with treads… and it is slated to sell for a modest $15,000. Wait… what?!? This is not a joke. This is the Tread 1 by industrial design firm Devon Works.

Inspired by motorcycles and industrial conveyor belts, Devon is not your traditional watchmaker with a rich history and European origins. It’s an American design team focused on innovation and a belief that they can redefine any category they enter. The Tread 1 is their foray into the world of watches.

HOW THE TREAD 1 WAS BORN

The Tread 1 was born from the mind of Jason Wilbur, a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and an award-winning designer at Honda R&D. Originally from New York, Mr Wilbur has no training whatsoever in traditional watchmaking. In fact, the Tread 1 came about almost by accident.

In the automotive industry, Mr Wilbur explains, it is common practice to use unrelated products as inspirational imagery to communicate the styling and emotional intent of an automotive project.

In search of the proper “look and feel” for a future concept car, Mr Wilbur drafted the Tread 1. During his
presentation, one of the executives spotted the watch and remarked: “Forget the car, you should make the watch!”

HOW IT WORKS

– Four extremely compact microstep motors drive the movement of the four belts with efficiency, exacting power an steadfast accuracy
– The belt assemblies are mounted on a central chassis, which allows for the perfect clearance of the moving parts and also creates the illusion that the parts are floating within the case.
– The lubricant-free pulley system moves freely thanks to the integration of jeweled bearings
– A temperature-compensated crystal provides data to the onboard microprocessor that drives four microstep motors
– The five-piece case design is made from high-grade staineless steel produced in five elements through advanced CNC construction
– The Tread 1 is powered by a lithium polymer rechargeable cell that will run for up to two weeks on a single charge

Photograph by ABlogToRead

Photograph by ABlogToRead

THE BELTS

– The series of belts expresses hours and minutes in exacting motion, while the seconds indicator runs in continuous motion. To ensure temporal accuracy, a proprietary optical recognition system monitors each belt position at all times.

– The belt assemblies are mounted on a central chassis, which allows for the perfect clearance of the moving parts and also creates the illusion that the parts are floating within the case

– Fiber-reinforced glass nylon allows for belts that are only 2/1,000 of an inch thick while being strong and stable enough to ensure continuous accuracy

THE BATTERY

“A rechargeable battery for a watch” you ask? Indeed, but not just any rechargeable battery. The box of the Thread 1 features integrated wireless technology, meaning there are no chords required. Yes, wireless battery charging.

DEVON WORKS

Led by founder Scott Devon and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Devon Works, LLC is a design lab dedicated to creating innovative luxury products. Devon Works began with the design of the exclusive Devon GTX, which combined ultimate luxury with American muscle and set the one-lap record at Laguna Seca. The Tread 1 is the first in a portfolio of products, including motorcycles, fashion and fragrance, that Devon Works will introduce this year.

Whether working on a car, motorcycle or watch, Scott Devon’s challenge to his design team is both simple and daunting: “We seek to create a design that redefines the category. We consult with experts in a variety of fields in order to build new innovations and keep pushing boundaries.” He demands that his team of artists, inventors and designers work together to deliver technological breakthroughs and fresh, modern, never-seen-it-before designs.

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