B/1 timepiece mirrors the window of marcel breuer's brutalist building in manhattan

Toledano & Chan unveils brutalist-inspired timepiece ‘B/1’

A meeting between a widely exhibited conceptual artist and an automotive-turned-watch designer led to the inception of B/1, a Brutalist-inspired timepiece drawing its design cues from the window structure of the Breuer building, designed by Marcel Breuer in 1966, at the Whitney Museum of American Art (now under Sotheby’s). Phillip Toledano, the artist, and Alfred Chan, the watch designer, bonded on Instagram over their shared love of Brutalist architecture and 1970s watches, which inspired them to create their own watch brand, Toledano & Chan.

Some name-dropping of brands and buildings prodded them to identify two major design influences for their Brutalist-inspired timepiece: the Rolex Midas and early 1970s integrated bracelet watches; and the Brutalist architect Marcel Breuer and his Whitney Museum building in New York, specifically the window of the Breuer building. Combining elements from these two influences into a single timepiece may not have been an easy feat, but the duo pulled it off, creating what might be likened to a miniature form of Brutalist architecture wrapped around the wrist.

images courtesy of Toledano & Chan

a block of handmade concrete box for packaging

Going for stainless steel as the primary material may have been obvious. Its glistening quality and modest look hark back to the architectural elements of Brutalism and the styles of 1970s watches. Less bare-it-all and more minimalism characterize the design of the Toledano & Chan timepiece B/1, from the closed caseback to the chain links of the watch. Glancing at the dial, the window of the Breuer building emerges, with a protruding 3D side to evoke its design influence.

Even though the silver color of the steel dominates parts of the timepiece, the dial stands out and catches attention with its Lapis lazuli material, forged from sapphire crystal. The theme of Brutalist architecture continues with the packaging design of the B/1 timepiece: a block of handmade concrete box that mirrors the shape of the watch’s caseback. The grittiness of the concrete is underlined, unpolished to embody the timepiece’s theme. As of publishing this story, the Brutalist-inspired timepiece B/1 is limited to 175 units, each numbered, and is priced at 3,763.95 EUR.

side profile of the brutalist-inspired timepiece B/1, drawing inspiration from the Breuer building