Jamie Hayon's new Orolog monkey watch

We catch up with Jaime Hayon in his Valencia studio to discuss his latest Orolog timepiece inspired by a wooden monkey mask (as pictured)

(Image credit: press)

By Caragh McKay

last updated 21 October 2022

in Features

What made you give watch design a go?
I really like classic watch designs but I had never found something that said: 'Yes, this is exactly that'. There was nothing with a sense of humour, so I started to think about a watch design. I collaborated with Ian Lowe and Angela Adams and we set up the watch brand Orolog in 2013.

And the technological challenge?
If you think about the functionality of something you will never design anything. The size – and the fact that you can draw it then print it like a paper watch you had as a kid, and put it on your wrist right away, makes the process simpler than furniture or sculpture design.

Where did the cheeky monkey on the dial of the Miko come from?
When you think about a specific character it presents the design solution. The three sub dials in the chrono movement of the ‘Miko’ – monkey – watch had a story – I saw the monkey image in them. The story makes decisions. You might not know the monkey is there at first. People tend not to see it straight away, but then when you catch a glimpse of it you get a surprise.

Tell us about the new addition to your horological menagerie?
The new Gaviota design, which will launch in autumn, features a seagull – the Spanish word is ‘gaviota’. It’s like a sculpture because I played with volume by multi-layering using just engraving, so the bird appears in relief on the dial.

What are the Hayon design codes in Orolog watches?
I wanted to create a watch out of all the things I like so that it looks like me and something I would do. I liked the idea of creating a history with texture and design and used French style guilloche décor, which worked well for the monkey hair, which is linear.

If Orolog created a digital watch what form would it take?
I don’t think the future is an app – it’s what we do with a watch itself. You can be innovative with analogue solutions, such as looking at it from a more historical perspective: the gentleman looking at his pocket watch is similar to someone taking his phone out of his pocket and checking the time, for instance. Techology is there to be used. How are we going to use it? We don’t know. Ultimately, it will always be about what we like to wear ourselves.

As originally featured in the May 2016 issue of Wallpaper* Time Supplement (W*206)

The brand's first watch the 'Chroma'

Hayon co-founded Orolog in 2013 with Angela Adams and Ian Lowe. Pictured is the brand's first watch the 'Chroma'

(Image credit: press)

Jaime Hayon wears his latest design — Here the creative wears his latest design: the stainless steel limited-edition Orolog 'Miko' (Japanese for monkey)

Jaime hayon watch — 'If you think about the functionality of something you will never design anything,' he says. 'The size – and the fact that you can draw it then print it like a paper watch you had as a kid, and put it on your wrist right away, makes the process simpler than furniture or sculpture design.'

'The three sub dials in the chrono movement of the Miko – *monkey* – watch had a story – I saw the monkey image in them. The story makes decisions. You might not know the monkey is there at first. People tend not to see it straight away, but then when you catch a glimpse of it you get a surprise.'

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Orolog website or Jaime Hayon website

Caragh McKay is a contributing editor at Wallpaper* and was watches & jewellery director at the magazine between 2011 and 2019. Caragh’s current remit is cross-cultural and her recent stories include the curious tale of how Muhammad Ali met his poetic match in Robert Burns and how a Martin Scorsese Martin film revived a forgotten Osage art.