Bio-colourant derived for Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet approached us with a challenge: redesign their iconic watch boxes. They were aware that the current wooden boxes, unchanged for years, weren't aligning with modern environmental concerns or customer needs. Made with varnish and shipped across various stages, they were bulky, inconvenient, and often ended up unused.


Colour, material, finish

We proposed 3D printing the boxes, as opposed to traditional woodwork, to make the process additive instead of subtractive. For the filament, we used a mixture of sawdust and lignin(a substance left over after wood is transformed into paper).

Testing different material compositions for the filament

The rich blue colour that we went for is a bio-colourant called phycocyanin. It is [at least here] extracted from the dry biomass of S. platensis, a blue–green algae. We used this to make a sustainable paint for the boxes.

As a varnish, and also as a method to seal the paint as well as increase the surface resistance 
to environment, we propose using bio-resin. For every 1 tonne of bio-resin produced, 2.5 tonnes of carbon is neutralised in the environment.

Form and function

Our goal was to transform the bulky, two-handed box into a bold, ergonomic statement piece. We tried to maximize space while achieving a visually striking design that seamlessly stood alone on any furniture. Unlike the current box, this would prioritise daily interaction through a one-handed opening mechanism, reducing steps and enhancing the user experience.

Final designs of the presentation watch-box