14 | Issue 115 | August 2018
Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Nunc
You would be forgiven for thinking that Nunc’s beautiful armbands are watches.
Look closer, however, and you will notice that they are missing the face and hands by
which watches mark the passing of time. “People always do a double take when they
notice,” says co-founder Michael Pedretti. “It’s a great way to start a conversation
and make both yourself and others pause and think for a minute in the midst of our
busy lives.”
By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Daniel Bülling
There is something disconcerting about
being confronted by a faceless, timeless
watch. The founders themselves are un-
sure of what to call it — it is not, evident-
ly, a watch, and as much a philosophical
statement as a decorative bracelet. The
point is not to remove the wearer from
the modern, technological world, but
rather to remind them that there are oth-
er things to life as well. “We want people
to embrace the present moment and re-
connect with their surroundings — their
city, nature, family and friends; to find a
sense of wholeness in being here, now,
and to recognise the perfection of each
and every moment,” Pedretti explains.The problems of working
around the clock
As a management consultant, Pedretti
was married to his smart watch, con-
stantly checking the time and his notifica-
tions and, like many other young profes-
sionals, at an increasingly frequent rate
each month. “For a lot of people today,
I think it’s really easy to get too caughtTimeless pieces remind us to be present
up in the continual, harmful race of news
updates, work developments and social
media posts that are part of our world to-
day,” Pedretti reflects. “It’s easy to forget
to look up, and to enjoy and connect with
the world and people around us.”Pedretti realised just how addicted he
was becoming to the buzz of updates and
notifications during a conference stay in
Copenhagen. “The hotel had these rather
cool plastic key bands in the shape of a
circle. I took off my watch and wore the
key instead to keep it on me, and that
evening, I really noticed the ridiculous
amount of times I glanced at my wrist
and became distracted from the conver-
sations going on around me.” There was,
he thought, a significant reflection on the
modern world in that act. “I kept check-
ing the time, but in doing that, I let time,
the present, pass me by.”