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Sunday 5 February 2023

The Wristwatch That Inspired a Creative Revolution

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<strong>The Wristwatch That Inspired a Creative Revolution</strong>

True innovators know that inspiration can come from any source. The best ideas don’t just come from your field or your era. The greatest inventions cause a shockwave across disciplines and decades. That’s how disruptions in the wristwatch industry paved the way for Nike’s most iconic designs to reach the market.

The Influence of a Watch on Our Culture

In 1960, Bulova released the first and most advanced electronic watch. 62 years later, Accutron watches continue to influence our culture. To better explain the watch’s inner workings, an “open dial” demonstration model was developed as a salesman sample. However, the window model quickly took off among customers as well. Responding to customer demand, Bulova released the Accutron Spaceview in 1961. Movement view watch designs became so popular that jewelers converted existing watches to the design by exposing the inner workings. Accutron technology was so impressive that its watches were used by NASA for space missions.

For some, this would be the end of the story. An innovation in wristwatch design led to a revolution in the industry and watches in space. But the Accutron Spaceview’s story isn’t limited to wristwatches. Its design exposing the inner workings of a watch to the customer bled over into other occupations as well. When architect Richard Rogers received an Accutron Spaceview as a gift from his mother. He remarked that, “it wears its machine on the outside… in a way it encapsulates what I do.”

Creatively Inspired Buildings

With his collaborator Renzo Piano, Rogers took the Accutron Spaceview’s “inside out” concept and applied it to buildings. In Paris, France, the Pompidou Centre was unveiled to the public in 1977. Intended to appear transparent, the ductwork, plumbing, and electrical conduits were moved to the exterior of the building. The high-tech style clashed with nearby traditional buildings, including Notre Dame. As a result, the design initially sparked controversy. Over time, however, the building gained appreciation from the architecture community. In 2007 (30 years after introduction), the Pompidou Centre won the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Inspired Shoes

It took far less than 30 years for the Pompidou to inspire other creators, though. In 1981, Tinker Hatfield was a corporate architect for Nike. When he saw the Pompidou Centre in Paris, he was inspired to create a new design for shoes. Later in the decade, Hatfield switched to shoe design. Starting with the Air Max 1, all Hatfield’s designs contained a visible air bubble. Like the watch and building before them, the Air Max 1 gave its users a peek into the inner workings of the shoe. The air bubble was unique for the time, and it gave rise to culturally relevant norms that have influenced the sneaker community ever since.

Conclusion

As the precursor to the Air Jordan series and more, the Air Max 1 is considered one of the greatest sneakers in history. By combining function and fashion, the Air Max 1 is popular even today in certain communities. While the Air Max 1 originally retailed for $75, pairs in good condition now appreciate 28% every year. Better than most stocks.