SEIKO EPSON
Casteel - A Return To American Craftsmanship
Seiko Epson identified a gap in the mechanical watch market: mid/high-end, Swiss-quality timepieces for affluent HENRYs (High Earners Not Rich Yet). Our task was to create a new American watch brand that embodies quality, craftsmanship, and attitude, countering the digital watch trend with a refined three-piece men’s collection. @ Matter
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We created a true, quality-driven American watch brand in a market dominated by digital and established players. The result: three timepieces that embody American craftsmanship and celebrate our connection to hand-built objects.
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“There are fewer occasions that call for the kind of spiritedness that is called forth when we craft something by hand.”
- Matthew B. Crawford, Shop Class As Soulcraft
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As Creative Lead, I guided three junior industrial designers, shaping the brand's ethos and developing a cohesive design language across three watch categories: dress, casual, and dive.
APPROACH
Identify market trends that resonate with our demographic to uncover a counter-cultural niche for an American brand—a response to the rise of soulless digital wearables. Define core brand values to shape a collection of mid/high-end mechanical timepieces.
“There are fewer occasions that call for the kind of spiritedness that is called forth when we craft something by hand.”
- Matthew B. Crawford, Shop Class As Soulcraft
Casteel | 585 Casual
Casteel | 585 Dress
Casteel | 585 Dive
INSPIRATION
We were influenced by custom-built cafe racers and precision hand-cut joinery. We looked to machine shop floors and workbenches, finding inspiration in the tools that build precision equipment.
BRAND IDENTITY
We crafted a new brand identity and strategy, encompassing ethos, values, mission, name, logo, visual identity, and guiding design and hardware principles; to create a relatable, aspirational, yet attainable lifestyle brand.
