Sometimes deciding on the smaller details, the details that may not be noticed or even seen by people, are the most difficult decisions to make. For me, this happened in an area I was not expecting nor did I anticipate...the caseback.
I have always loved a simple, clean caseback design. Never one to fancy see-through casebacks, I always found myself gravitating more toward sterile, military-inspired designs (think vintage Tudor or Rolex). However, that is not to say I do not appreciate and enjoy a more “fun” caseback! In fact, one of my favorite designs, and a main element that drew me to the brand, was the wonderfully detailed and intricate engraving on vintage Ginsbo Coastguard watches--the watches that got me interested in vintage divers in the first place (see BLOG 1 for more on that). The Ginsbo Coastguard models featured a beautiful engraving of a submarine navigating the seas. Similarly, their other models such as the Spaceguard and ALS (Air, Land, and Sea) featured realistic engravings of a space satellite with protective rings orbiting it or a swan flying in the air, respectively.
From Left to Right: Ginsbo ALS, Ginsbo Coastguard, Ginsbo Spaceguard.
Cool right? Well, when it came to designing the Royalguard 200 caseback I was torn between my love for simple, tool-watch inspired designs and the more intricate, story-telling style casebacks of these vintage divers I loved. I created multiple designs and ultimately decided on the vintage, military-inspired design you see today on the caseback of the Royalguard 200. Here are the top three designs I was deciding between.
As you can see, each design varied from one another and though I am ultimately overjoyed with the direction and choice I made, I could see each of these casebacks holding their own on watches today. Who knows, maybe one day there will be an Imperial Watch Co. model featuring one of these others. What do you think? Let me know!