Behind the project of Rolex Sea Dweller (Spirit of the sea project)

The work process of creating a project is not linear, and there are many challenges with each design that go beyond what can be seen on social media and in pictures.

Each artist has their own philosophy behind their art. In the world of watch engraving, there are very few of us with the patience and ability to cut rock-hard material while striving to maintain the high standards set by modern-day watchmakers.

This project marked a period where I completely changed my approach to modern engraving. I also began to give each project meaning by telling a story that rarely gets shared among watch-collecting enthusiasts. I hope sharing these stories about my projects might give you some insight into the behind-the-scenes process and show the workflow of creating something that is more than just an engraved watch.

In the autumn of 2022, I was asked to create a design that would be different from anything I had done before, and originally it was intended for a different watch. At first, my customer (now my business partner) and I wanted to capture a story about the Passage of Drake.

A few weeks into the design process, we really liked the entire concept of telling a story on a watch bracelet. However, the hardest part was taking a historical event or time period and condensing it into a flowing design that would fit the watch bracelet and still be engraveable on rock-hard stainless steel.

About a month into the project, we realized that the Rolex platform would be a better fit for our intentions. Although the design remained sea-travel themed, we decided to change the story of the watch. After weeks of brainstorming, we wanted to explore more about the sea-traveling theme while also incorporating the customer’s family history of sea travel and diving.

At this point, the design was like a book that was writing itself. Out of many ideas, we started picking the most important details that resonated with the customer. The design was absolutely unique, which also meant that there were quite a few things I had never done before, such as creating a "non-repeating" design—meaning that each link of the bracelet and even each side of the bracelet was completely different.

Once we had picked out the subjects that interested us the most (Hammerhead shark, Octopus, Diver's Helmet, etc.), I had to find a medium to connect these elements.

I had been studying 17th-century English watch engravers’ work for quite some time because of the unique composition of elements and the complex yet pleasing mathematical and geometrical solutions for the flow of these elements. These are some truly breathtaking designs that modern engravers struggle to match. As the majority of the newest watch inventions were designed for sea travel and sponsored by the government, many engravings decorated some of the most iconic watches taken to sea. For me, that type of ornamental work was the key to merging with the chosen beings and elements for the project.

As the project progressed, the work became more straightforward, but a few details still remained to be solved. Over the weeks, there were countless edits and revisions of the watch, and there were even days where I scrapped great designs just to try a different look or change the shading so it would appear differently. For example, I adjusted the shading around the hammerhead shark so that it would appear to be swimming on top of seaweed without actually drawing the seaweed, but by shaping the scrollwork around it in a certain way. One of the biggest decisions in an engraving project is the overall look and tone of the work. The appearance can be drastically changed by the background alone.

Most of the watches engraved nowadays are either left as they are after engraving (more common in Central Europe), or the background is painted with black paint.

When making the decision about the background for the "Spirit of the Sea" project, the customer and I wanted something that would accentuate the engraving yet be more subtle than black paint. This meant I had to pause the project, sit down, and experiment with different solutions and ideas. By accident, I discovered a way to turn stainless steel gray without the use of any paint. This not only meant that the watch would be seawater and wear-resistant, but it also accentuated the microscopic chisel movements in the deep background removal cuts.

After months of work, the "Spirit of the Sea" watch was about to be finished. When the initial engraving phase was done, I still had to spend countless days just looking at it, adding a cut or small polish here and there. It was crucial to keep in mind that the design must complement the watch model itself, and in our opinion, it did just that.

The majority of the work process and even the story behind the design usually never get told, but this project was the piece that helped me understand how I want my future story projects to be.

The most important thing for me is to tell the story and find a clever way to present it on a modern-day wristwatch, all while keeping in mind that I must complement the watch design and the watchmaker’s work, just as watch engravings from 250 years ago did.