Eduardo Milieris Handcrafted Watches

Eduardo Milieris’ watches are unique, heavily stylized pieces of metal art that break many of the conventions of modern watchmaking, especially at a visual level. The bold, unconventional designs grab your attention forcefully – there is not a display case in the world in which these watches would blend into their surroundings. From the materials to the methods of construction – and in some cases the concept behind their design – there is nothing ordinary about them.

There is a material air of ruggedness to his watches: heavy, rigid pieces of metal riveted together like the hull of a ship. Though a few of his watches make use of brushed steel like conventional watchmakers, most of them are composed of rough, battered looking materials. Whereas most premium watches are all about subtlety and clean lines, many of Eduardo’s creations give off a sense of elegant brutality.

The Mosaic line features watches composed of scraps that have been collected over 20 plus years of watchmaking. The scraps, consisting of different patterns, shapes, and materials, are overlapped to create either the watch’s face or its wristband. The effect is highly reminiscent of cubism and some kinds of found object art. These are some of the most striking watches in his collection. They’re special not just because of the way they look, but because you know they carry years and years of history in their raw materials. It would be very cool to look down at the watch on your wrist and think about the experimentation, the trial and error, all of the ideas and inspirations that accounted for the creation of the separate pieces from which it’s assembled.

Milieris states that he distresses the material to make his watches look like a “buried treasure”. In this way, he incorporates the idea of time into his work beyond the mere timekeeping function of his watches. This concept is obviously present in his Mosaic line, as well as in his Gates of Time watches, which feature spring loaded doors that cover the face of the watch until they are released by pressing a small button. Milieris’ work is very thoughtful not only on an aesthetic level, but on a conceptual one as well. He uses his medium of timepieces to make us think about how we experience time itself, how the element of time can be incorporated into physical objects, and how that element changes the way we think and feel about the things we use. Not too many watchmakers, or craftsmen in general for that matter, can convey so much information or present the opportunity for such meditation or introspection through a simple design like a wristwatch.

Eduardo’s watches are sold at stores in many US cities, as well as a handful of locations in Canada, Uruguay, and Japan. You can also buy them directly from his website, where you can find some of his other work as well, including drawings, photography, and a series of bracelets that are stylistically very similar to his watches.