Straps that enter from the sides. A crown at high noon. A dial that looks like it could spin. Penumbra reimagines watch architecture by relocating two attachment points — and letting everything else follow.
Challenge
Watch straps have attached to the same two points for over a century — top and bottom lugs. This dictates crown placement, case proportions, and how the watch sits on the wrist. What if the attachment points moved?
Approach
Relocate the strap connection to the sides of the case. This single change unlocks a new formal language: the crown rises to 12 o'clock, the dial floats free from the strap axis, and the entire watch can express rotation.
Inspired by the astronomical phenomenon it's named after — the penumbra, where Earth partially blocks the sun — the dial is split diagonally into light and shadow. The dual-tone leather straps continue this division, wrapping the wrist like an orbital path.
Outcome
A concept that questions a century-old assumption. By moving two attachment points, the entire watch transforms — mechanically, visually, and symbolically.
"The shadow doesn't hide the light — it gives it shape."