Gs Watch — complete design deck
A Framework for Noticing
Before the watches, a way of seeing.
"I have no desire to express myself. What I wish to do is provide the means of expression for people." — Alexander Girard
This project isn't about our conclusions regarding time. It's about building tools that help you notice your own relationship with it.
The watches that follow aren't prescriptions. They're lenses. Different shapes for different ways of seeing.
Some questions to sit with
Time feels like... (your words here)
I wish time felt like... (your words here)
The gap between these two might be where a tool could help.
Lenses for noticing
These aren't types of people. They're modes that shift throughout a day, a season, a life.
- Position — Where am I in the cycle?
- Container — How much is held?
- Momentum — What direction, what pace?
- Anchor — What holds me here?
- Rhythm — What pattern repeats?
- Boundary — Where does this end?
Analog Prototypes
No screens. No menus. Just geography.
Focus Bezel — Boundary · Container
A rotating bezel creates a colored arc. The minute hand travels through it. When the hand exits the color, something ends.
What that "something" is — a work session, a conversation, a pause — is yours to decide.
What would you contain?
Day Map — Position · Rhythm
The dial is divided into colored zones. The hour hand points to where you are in the day's cycle.
What each zone means — rest, focus, transition, care — is for you to discover. The watch just shows position.
What would you notice about your position?
Studio Chrono — Container · Momentum
A chronograph with a 25-minute sector in the subdial. Click to begin. The hand sweeps. A tactile ritual for starting.
What ritual begins your work?
Tide Dial — Rhythm · Position
A single hand moves between high and low over ~12 hours. For those who think in swells and ebbs, not hours and minutes.
What rises and falls in your day?
Breath Marker — Rhythm · Anchor
Almost nothing on the dial. Just a sweeping hand and concentric rings. Some find the movement grounding. Others find it anxious.
What does watching movement do for you?
Quarter Chime — Rhythm · Boundary
A subtle vibration at each quarter hour. Not an alert — a gentle tap that says "still here." Some find it orienting. Some find it intrusive.
Would you want to be tapped?
Hybrid Explorations
These concepts add a thin digital layer to analog timekeeping. The analog remains primary. The digital is a whisper, not a shout.
Later-phase. Limited runs. Included here for completeness, not commitment.
Anchor Window — Visual signal · Calendar sync
A small window shows when a chosen "anchor" event is active. Therapy. Rehearsal. Pickup. One bit of information: you're in it, or you're not.
- Syncs with calendar for 1-3 user-selected events
- Window glows or shifts when anchor is live
- No notifications, no text, no alerts
Haptic Hour — Vibration patterns · No visual
A gentle pulse at the hour. Long buzz + short pulses encode the time (3pm = one long, three short). Learn the pattern or ignore it.
- Subtle vibration at hour and half-hour
- Pattern encodes time without looking
- Completely optional — default off
Zone Window — E-ink subdisplay · Day position
A small e-ink window shows the current day zone in words. "morning" becomes "afternoon" becomes "evening." Position made explicit.
- Updates a few times per day (ultra-low power)
- User sets zone boundaries in companion app
- If battery dies, analog still works
Companion Object — Desk object · Paired indicator
Not on the watch. A small object for your desk that glows when your calendar anchor is active. The watch stays analog. The signal lives elsewhere.
- Syncs via Bluetooth to phone
- Glows ambient color during anchor events
- Watch remains fully analog
Timer Bar — E-ink progress · Session tracking
A thin bar depletes as your timer runs. Analog shows time; digital shows "how much is left" without numbers.
- User sets timer via crown or button
- Bar shrinks as time depletes
- Optional vibration at end
Night Shift — Auto-dim · Moon phase
Display dims automatically after sunset. A small moon phase complication. For those whose relationship with time changes after dark.
- Light sensor triggers dim mode
- Moon phase tracks monthly cycle
- Fully analog mechanics, digital dimming
Guardrails for all hybrid concepts
Allowed: Single-purpose digital additions. Opt-in features (default off). Multi-week battery targets. Graceful degradation (analog works if digital dies). Setup-only companion app.
Forbidden: Notifications of any kind. Fitness tracking, steps, heart rate. Multiple screens or menus. Frequent charging requirements. Features that train checking behavior.
Strap Ecosystem
Vegan. Repair-forward. Designed to age well. Each tells a different story about care and use.
Ocean Nylon
Woven recycled ocean plastic. Dense weave resists fraying. Quick-dry after water exposure.
Raw Denim + Sashiko
Selvedge denim with visible repair stitching. Fades uniquely with wear. Red selvedge ID, gold contrast stitching.
Deadstock Canvas
Reclaimed cotton canvas with bound edges. Washable. Softens and picks up character over time.
Cork + Textile
Portuguese cork face with natural linen backing. Soft cushioning. Warm on skin. Develops rich patina.
Cactus Leather
Desserto nopal cactus material. Soft hand feel, dressier tapered profile. Deployant clasp for comfort.
Pinatex
Pineapple leaf fiber with distinctive natural texture. Raw edges embrace the material's character. Antique brass patinas over time.
On aging: These straps are designed to show use, not hide it. Fading denim, darkening cork, softening canvas — these are features, not flaws. The strap becomes a record of how the watch has traveled with you.
A Final Frame
These aren't watches that tell you how to relate to time. They're tools for noticing how you already do.
The colored sector doesn't mean "focus time." It means whatever you decide it means. The day zones don't prescribe a schedule. They show position.
The watches are lenses. What you see through them is yours.
Internal deck — January 2026 · Tools for expression, not self-expression.