Born from a chance meeting in Taipei with a watch factory owner, multi-hyphenate maker Christo Logan of Two Parts emerged captivated by the idea of designing a timepiece. The Good Design Award-winning, Brooklyn-based architect’s exploration would eventually lead to his own 40mm case wristwatch realized with an eye-catching asymmetrical layout and some shadowy details… aptly named the Good + Evil Omen.
“It’s what happened after I became obsessed with making my ideal watch. The goal was to arrive at a design by combining, rethinking and subverting the basic elements of a timepiece,” explains Logan about his timely creation. “I ignored the conventional assumptions about what a watch should look like and started from ‘first principles’ to see where such an exploration would lead.”
The labyrinth watch face, red centerpiece plus symbol seconds dial, and off-center strap configuration all undoubtedly invite curiosity in its minimalist expression of the hours, minutes, and seconds.
Even more subtle is the watch’s flush crown and its analog motion delivered by Swiss made Ronda quartz watch movement. An anti-reflective sapphire crystal framed by a stainless steel case affords Logan’s analog watch a set-it-and-forget-it daily wear dependability.
The sum of all these features echo graphic elements from modern works like that of Marc Newson for Alessi during the aughts, and Roger Tallon’s asymmetrical D-shaped timepieces, a resemblance Logan says is completely by chance.
“I was blissfully unaware of all but the most common watch precedents going into this,” says Logan. “After previewing the Omen to a watch-enthusiast friend, he introduced me to other watches with D-shaped outlines. Though slightly disappointed, I wasn’t surprised that other designers had also found such a fun and functional watch form.”
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Christo Logan is currently taking preorders for his Good + Evil Omen wristwatch design for $199 (33% off the regular price of $299), with plans to deliver the product of his obsession by September 2024 before eventually selling the watch directly via goodplusevil.com.
Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.
