Seiko 5 Book

Project Type

3D Design

Publication Design

Photography

Programs

Illustrator

Indesign

Photoshop

Blender

seiko 5 with complications book

Overview

A 6 by 9 inch book that showcases the Seiko 5 Automatic watch in a surreal way using 3D CGI. The objective was to show the mystique behind the functions and materials of the 21 jewel automatic watch technology.

Time is an integral part of publication designs that goes beyond form and composition itself, leaving me lots of room for visual ideas.

Research and Development

movement vice movement day dial ruby

The technology used to make automatic watches has existed for a long time, but the mysteries and masterful construction feels almost futuristic but also antiquated.

The ruby crystals inside the watch have an allure that goes beyond science. They seem like magic and fantasy in the objective reality.

watch book sketch

Process

Watch Schematics

schematics1 schematics3 schematics4 schematics5 schematics6 schematics9 schematics10 schematics11

With the watch and its schematics in my possession, I was able to build a visual system where I made photoreal versions of the watch parts with procedural materials in Blender software.

Blender Viewport

watchband 3d viewport watch spring viewport second hands viewport watch case viewport

Asset creation for the object models began in Illustrator, where I could use the pen tool to create accurate outlines of the watch parts. Blender was where I took the vectors and used them to build the final models and put the textures, colors, and transparencies on them.

Material Design

Blender material sample

The watch's materials were fun to make because it allowed for transparency and reflections as well as maximal use of the value scale. The mirror finish stainless steel of the watch case reflects maximum darkness and maximum highlight.

The reflective surfaces I rendered in Blender translated extremely well to the final print because it allowed for the uncoated paper to add to the texture of my design.

Final Design

The final design was made up of splash pages featuring the different parts of the watch in a floating, disassembled state. Arrangement of the parts draws the viewers eye to areas where the parts overlap.

book spread 2 book spread 3 book spread 4 book spread 5 book spread 6 book spread 7 book spread 8 book spread 9 book spread 10 book spread 11 book spread 12 book spread 13

Combining Illustrator, Indesign, and Photoshop with Blender felt like the most powerful combination of software to build this project with the maximal amount of detail.

The end result was photorealistic imagery with volumetric lighting and accurate transluscent materials. Because of the research I conducted earlier in the design process, Every material has true to life color accuracy and ior, making it an uncanny level of realism that would have only been possible with practical photography.