Let’s imagine that you have a group of friends who you want to celebrate. People who mean the world to you and help make you a better person. They have lifted you and been there for you. They know you and have supported you through thick and thin. How are you going to tell them what they mean to you? What is grand enough to show your appreciation and gratitude, and also symbolize how you feel?
I met Chris back in June at the Troutdale Arts Festival. She said she wanted to commission watches for everyone in her women’s hiking group and that this group had been hiking together, primarily in the Grand Canyon and Southwest, for the last 35 years. The group is stretched out all over the country but always come together for their hike. She wanted the watch to clearly represent one of their 12 week-long backpacking trips in the Canyon.
The idea of celebrating a deep connection with special people resonated with me. In a world where technology often dictates how we communicate and connect with others, there is something special about the timeless tradition of sharing a physical symbol of friendship. I was all in but knew it wouldn’t be easy. I immediately started thinking, “How in the world will I be able to tint abalone shell to look like the red clay Canyon walls? Am I out of my mind to take this on? Can the desert harmoniously meet the ocean?”
She wanted to base the design on a photo of the Grand Canyon that looks out toward the confluence of the Colorado river with the Little Colorado, where the Hopi believe that they emerged from a sipapu into the world - a very sacred area. So we started with a photograph.
From there I began by experimenting with tinting various types of abalone shell to look like clay. Coming up with new ways to create looks and vibes in watch dials is one of my favorite things. I love the innovation required to create something new that I’ve never seen before. And so, to make a long story short, after much trial and error, the dial transformed into something exotic and intricate using abalone shells from all over the world such as Tiger Pearl from Indonesia, Tahitian abalone shells, green abalone from Mexico, and Paua abalone from New Zealand, among others. The final dial was a night sky with full moon overlooking the confluence and river winding its way to the center. Composed of 16 pieces of shell, they were tinted four different colors and inlaid to form the image of the sacred space.
It was such an honor to create this symbol of friendship for such a special and close-knit group. This kind of art in a watch has always been about having something that you can look at 500 times a day that lights you up, makes you smile, fills you with wonder, encourages you to dream or symbolizes the love you have in your heart for what moves you and makes you sing. One watch at a time, we are making a better world. These friends will forever have the memories of their adventures and every time they glance at their wrist and see the watch, they’ll be reminded of the love, laughter and special connection they share with each other.
