Do you remember the internship since you were a student? I remember mine, but it doesn’t sound as cool as Magnus Swan’s internship at Studio Underd0G. He helped make pizza clocks a reality. However, he has also worked on recent Gimlet and UN0 Rigginals and more. He then decided to devote his final major project to his own clock, Versailles of Anemonic. Today we see what he is doing.
Obtaining that internship at Studio UnderD0G took quite a bit of effort from a young watch enthusiast. He first contacted Richard Benc directly via LinkedIn, but the company was still very small and did not offer placements. Magnus then saw how Richard transformed his 11-year-old sketch into a pumpkin-themed clock. That was when he knew how to get Richard’s attention. He created a trio of Studio UnderD0G-inspired design concepts and posted them on Instagram.
To his surprise, Richard noticed and shared them. It led to an animated Zoom call between the two, but Richard still didn’t bite. But after a while, Richard contacted Magnus about some freelance jobs and eventually became a year in the studio Underd0G industry. It shows considerable persistence. A good feature of Magnus is that it has when creating the watch brand Anemonic.
The term “anemoia” refers to the phenomenon of feeling nostalgic about a time or place that you have never experienced before. The idea behind the Anemoic brand name is that each watch is designed to capture and integrate its own Anemoia during selected times, places and atmospheres. The first place Magnus takes us with is Versailles, France in the 1970s.
Battle of Versailles
In 1973, a historic fashion show today called The Battle of Versailles took place at the Palace of Versailles to raise money for its restoration. Five French designers, including Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin, and five American designers, including Oscar de La Renta and Ann Klein, competed against each other in eight designs each. There were guests there like Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli and Josephine Baker. The event has become a legendary thing far ahead in the fashion world.
The supermodel wore jewelry, sequins and silk while getting lost in the candle corridor of the faded luxury of the palace. This time and place of old world grandeur and modern boldness is where Magnus wants to take us with his first watch.
Aquamarine Crystal
The main attraction of the watch is its coloured faceted crystals. Usually, the dial on the watch comes in color. However, inspired by the gems worn at the Battle of Versailles, Magnus moved the aquamarine colour to crystals. Facet’s inspiration came from a chandelier found in the Mirror Hall of Fame at the Palace of Versailles.
The aluminum dial below it features a double layer of CNC machined guillothi patterns, vertical brushing, minimal printing of logos and time markers, and clear lacquer. It’s a shame they don’t have a prototype yet, as the crystal and dial combination promises to do quite a show from different angles.
The rectangular case is 39mm long, 28mm wide and 7.5mm thick, and contains facets and colored crystals. Its bezel mimics the crystal facet design, but the case with almost brushes has a very slim polished chamfer. The caseback has a concave shape to improve wear resistance. The inside of the Anemoic Bersailles defeats the movement of the manually caught La Joux-Perret D101. It operates at a frequency of 21,600VPH, features 18 gems and holds a power reserve of 50 hours.
Good luck!
The estimated price for Anemoic Versailles is £1,900. Magnus is working hard to get ready for his final presentation sometime in July. This watch appears on Yasson’s leather straps with strap tailors with custom stainless steel pin buckles.
I asked Magnus if he could say anything about the possibility of bringing his project to the market. He said it depends a bit on the reaction that Versailles gets when presented. Please let us know what you think in the comments below. Let’s be honest, Magnus already has a plan B, so be honest. Because Studio Underd0G offered him a full-time position as a junior designer.
Either way, I wish Magnus good luck with his future venture!
