Minimalist Analog Watch OEM for UK Menswear Brand

A UK-based independent menswear accessories brand was looking to expand their product line with a signature watch collection. With a strong aesthetic identity built around clean, understated design, they needed an OEM partner capable of translating their brand vision into a physical product — without the overhead of in-house manufacturing.

The client requested 200 units of a minimalist analog watch featuring a leather strap and their brand logo printed on the dial. The target aesthetic was refined and slim — think clean dial, simple indices, and a case profile that sits comfortably under a shirt cuff. They had a clear vision of the feel they wanted, but no technical specifications to work from.

The first prototype revealed an unexpected mismatch: the dial font was too bold for the brand's tone. Rather than simply swapping typefaces, KODA's design team proposed two alternative options and recommended replacing Arabic numerals with simple line indices — a subtle shift that significantly elevated the overall feel.

The client approved the revised direction but made one final request: matte silver hands instead of the original rose gold. A second round of sampling added 12 days to the timeline, but both sides agreed the result justified the wait.

200 units were delivered on schedule following the revised timeline. Upon receiving the shipment, the client noted that the final product had exceeded their original expectations — "This version is better than what we initially imagined." Six months later, they returned to commission a matching women's watch collection in the same design language.