I had the pleasure of reviewing the Cauny x Ando model from the Architects of Time series, and I enjoyed that watch a lot. So, when I heard about the next chapter of the series, I was naturally curious to find out more.

A big thank you to Cauny for sharing some information and photos with me, giving the opportunity to take a closer look at their latest creation, The Sculpture Watch, designed by American architect Steven Holl.

The inspiration behind this model goes back several years, to a conversation between Steven Holl and the famous Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza about colour and architecture.

At one point, Siza told Holl:

“Your colors are like Matisse… I must work next in color.”

It was a comment Holl never forgot, and years later, when Cauny invited him to design a watch, he remembered those words and decided to use that earlier exchange as the starting point for his design.

In November 2024, Steven Holl wrote to Siza, explaining his idea for the new watch and why he wanted it to be a tribute to him. He also shared some thoughts about the design and how it connected to their earlier exchange.

Siza replied, saying that he appreciated Holl’s thoughts and approach. He admitted that working with colour had never been the easiest part of his work, but also pointed out that the idea of him designing only white buildings was far from the truth. Over the years, his architecture has featured plenty of blue, red, yellow and other colours. He also explained that he usually prefers to bring different colours together, focusing on how they work as part of the overall composition.

I find this little exchange quite fascinating. It’s nice to see how a simple dialogue, or in this case, a series of letters between two architects, could eventually inspire an entirely new watch design.

Some early sketches of the watch by Steven Holl

The Architect Behind the Watch

Born in 1947 in Bremerton, Washington, Steven Holl is one of the most respected American architects of his generation.

After studying architecture at the University of Washington, he founded Steven Holl Architects in New York in 1977. His portfolio includes several internationally recognised projects, such as the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, the Chapel of St. Ignatius in Seattle, Linked Hybrid in Beijing and Simmons Hall at MIT.

His architectural approach is strongly influenced by light, space, materials and the relationship between art and architecture.

One particularly interesting aspect of his creative process is the use of watercolour sketches. Holl often begins a new architectural project with small watercolour paintings, allowing ideas to develop through colour and form before they become physical structures.

This approach became the starting point for The Sculpture Watch.

Written in Water

Holl describes his concept for the watch as “Written in Water”, explaining how watercolour painting influenced both its appearance and the way it represents time.

In his own words:

“Time is imagined as colour, with each moment its own polychrome experience.”

For Holl, colour is more than decoration. Its changing shades and variations become a way of expressing the passage of time and reminding us that time is a personal experience.

Rather than treating time as something divided into identical units, Holl wanted to create a more personal and visual interpretation of its passage.

This idea comes to life through a three-dimensional, sculptural dial made up of interlocking geometric shapes. The different colours appear to push and pull against one another, creating depth and movement across the surface.

There is also a mathematical idea behind the arrangement. The Fibonacci sequence (3, 5, 8, 13) marks the hours on the dial, introducing a natural sense of proportion instead of following the conventional division of twelve equal sections.

It’s an unusual approach to watch design, but one that makes sense when viewed through the eyes of an architect.

The result is a dial that feels more like a small piece of contemporary art than a traditional watch face. Colour, geometry and light all play their part, while the irregular surface gives the watch a distinctive three-dimensional character.

The Sculpture Watch

The Sculpture Watch is the next chapter in Cauny’s Architects of Time series, which started with the model designed by Álvaro Siza. While that watch reflected Siza’s approach to design, Holl takes things in a different direction. Drawing on his experience with watercolour painting and his interest in colour and geometry, he has created a much bolder design.

And it’s the dial that really catches the eye. The four colours – blue, yellow, red and green – sit at different levels, with red on top, followed by blue, yellow and green. This creates an interesting 3D effect, almost like several small sculptures placed on top of each other. The textured finish also gives the colours a nice watercolour-like appearance.

The 36mm stainless steel case provides a relatively compact frame for this unique and beautiful model. Made from 316L stainless steel, it is protected by a sapphire crystal and offers 30 metres (3 ATM) of water resistance.

Inside, Cauny has opted for the Ronda 762 quartz movement, keeping the focus on the unusual dial and its artistic design.

Would I rock it?

I absolutely love the Ando, and it remains a very special part of my collection. My wife is also a big fan of the smaller version and wears it regularly. But this one is something quite different. It’s bolder, more colourful and definitely has its own character.

If you’ve read some of my reviews before, you probably know that I have a soft spot for unusual dials. There’s just something about them that makes me happy every time I look at them. With watches like this, I’m not really thinking about the movement, the specs or how technically impressive they are. It’s the design and the story behind them that matter to me. That’s what I enjoy about these pieces. You can have a bad day or just one of those difficult days, put something like this on your wrist, and have a little something to smile about every time you glance at it.

One more thing that I noticed and I find very interesting, after looking at some of the photos from certain angles, the crystal almost seems to disappear, and I really love that effect. It almost feels like there’s nothing between you and the dial, allowing you to get a closer look at all the little details and enjoy the watch even more.

So, yes, I would definitely rock this one! Of course, my thoughts are based on photos only for now, but The Sculpture Watch looks very promising, and I’d genuinely love to see it in person.

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Specification:

• Case: 316L stainless steel
• Diameter: 36mm
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Movement: Ronda 762 quartz
• Dial: Multicoloured, three-dimensional sculptural design
• Water resistance: 30m / 3 ATM
• Lug width: 16mm
• Strap: Black leather strap or silver steel mesh
• Price: €198 / $318

More information at: https://www.cauny.com