Typography has been at the heart of anOrdain since our inception with each character on each of our models designed in-house.

There are three things we try to balance when designing our typography: functionality, legibility and beauty. Good type design should draw the eye in, but imperceptibly. It should also sit harmoniously in its surroundings without causing distraction. This is especially true when designing type for watch dials.

To achieve the delicate balance of form versus function, our type designer, Imogen, referred to three main touchpoints of the brand: the traditional handcraft of the enamel production, the hi-tech precision of watchmaking and the heritage of the Scottish Highlands.

She looked at old Ordnance Survey maps of the Highlands for inspiration, which she felt reflected anOrdain’s ethos in their combination of precise cartography, handcrafted lettering and density of information.

The forms of the Model 1’s bespoke numbers took inspiration from the high-contrast Modern font used for placenames, simplified by angular cuts in place of the serifs. The data-driven keys and legends informed the sans-serif designed for the minute track.

For our second watch, the Model 2, we needed to adapt our type design to suit the function of a field watch. More rugged and robust, it required something less delicate. Using the Model 1 numerals as a starting point, we pushed the contrast of the thicks and thins to the extreme, allowing for high legibility and maximum impact. For the Model 2 Porcelain, we used a revised version of these numerals, and their outline style lent itself perfectly to a lume infill.

Although distinct in character, the numbers on each of our releases feel like part of the same family. And as the range grows, our type family will too.