Few designers of the 20th century shaped the visual language of modern living as profoundly as Ettore Sottsass. Born in Innsbruck in 1917 and later raised in Turin, Sottsass studied architecture before his life was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Italian army and spent years in captivity. After the war, he relocated to Milan, where he developed a revolutionary approach to architecture and industrial design, eventually founding his own studio and redefining postwar aesthetics.
By the late 1950s, Sottsass had gained international recognition through his groundbreaking work for olivetti, creating office machines that blurred the boundaries between utility and art. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, his radical, colorful, and emotionally driven vision culminated in the creation of the Memphis Group, one of the most influential design movements of the Postmodern era.
Designed in 1985, this watch embodies Sottsass’ architectural philosophy in miniature—transforming time into space and geometry into emotion. More than a functional object, it reflects his lifelong fascination with form, rhythm, and proportion, carrying the same bold intellectual language seen throughout his interiors and furniture. Its cultural importance is underscored by the fact that an example resides in the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, a testament to its significance not merely as a watch, but as a work of design history.
No one know with certainty how many where made, but this one is numbered 028 which give us a clue it is most likely to be a double digit production. This is the only one that has surfaced the market in recent years.
Dial: White Eggshell texture Movement: Frederic Piguet cal.21 manual-wind Case material: 18k yellow gold Swiss Halmarks Case size: 29 mm Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Original Pin buckle (18k gold) Sold with: Full-set
Comments: Unpolished, Original Buckle, original strap, extra strap. Working properly.
