Art of Quiet Reinvention
Some innovations arrive quietly—with subtlety rather than fanfare, yet they improve daily life. At Kintao, we begin our work by carefully observing everyday interactions, rediscovering overlooked ideas, and thoughtfully refining them. This thoughtful, human-centered approach led us to create our first watch: the Kintao Unify.
Here, we share the journey behind the Unify—a quiet revolution in thoughtful watchmaking.
Thoughtful Origins
My appreciation for thoughtful design started young, immersed in the meticulous engineering drawings created by my father, an aeronautical engineer. Those intricate blueprints weren't merely technical—they solved real human needs with elegant technical precision, quietly influencing how I approach design to this day.
Throughout my career in experience design and human-centered product design, this belief remained constant. The Riley table—an elegant solution to my own struggle to comfortably use a laptop at home—was adopted by Herman Miller, reaffirming my approach. Later, at IDEO, designing Zuowe, a simple home-office brand and product born from the new realities of COVID-19, deepened my commitment to empathy-led innovation.
Yet, on of my greatest fascinations remained with watches—particularly quiet innovations from mid-century Japanese watchmakers. Seiko’s pioneering SilverWave introduced an internal rotating bezel operated through a single oversized crown, ingeniously intuitive yet hindered by friction-based mechanisms that could unintentionally slip during wear. Aquastar followed with similarly elegant attempts, but friction-based limitations persisted.
My personal passions—cycling, photography, travel—further refined my perspective, reinforcing how subtle details, thoughtfully executed, profoundly enrich daily experiences.
Thoughtful Collaborations
Over more than a decade collaborating closely with skilled Chinese manufacturers, I’ve witnessed remarkable advancements: refined craftsmanship, precise engineering, and meticulous finishing that quietly challenge perceptions of traditional watchmaking.
Our partnerships in China weren't transactional; they were dialogues grounded in empathy, careful refinement, and shared values. Every visit deepened my appreciation for their dedication to precision and thoughtful craftsmanship, laying a strong foundation for the Kintao Unify.
Elegantly Reinventing the Internal Bezel
The internal rotating bezel was innovative yet flawed due to friction-based mechanisms. Even modern watches, such as Frédérique Constant’s elegant Worldtimer—while sophisticated—still employ friction-based bezels, lacking tactile precision and sometimes leading to thicker, less practical cases.
Meanwhile, iconic two-crown solutions like the Longines Legend Diver elegantly separate bezel adjustment from time-setting, but at the expense of intuitive simplicity.
At Kintao, we recognized a meaningful opportunity: create a watch with a single-crown internal bezel mechanism, precisely controlled by distinct clicks, while maintaining a slim profile (just 11mm thick). The Unify elegantly solves historical limitations, quietly redefining everyday practicality.
Everyday Utility—Quietly Practical
Today, most daily timing tasks don't require heavy-duty watches built for deep-sea dives. Instead, simple yet precise timing often enhances everyday moments. Whether timing cooking in your kitchen, keeping track of parking meters, monitoring workouts, managing meetings, or timing your commute, the Kintao Unify elegantly integrates precise timing into daily routines without forcing you to reach disruptively for a smartphone.
Quietly practical, subtly precise, the Unify is equally suited to the boardroom or the weekend—designed thoughtfully to enrich everyday experiences.
Precision as Poetry
At Kintao, thoughtful innovation extends beyond aesthetics. Each bezel click on the Unify was meticulously engineered and iteratively prototyped to achieve intuitive precision. Carefully chamfered edges were refined through rigorous testing, aided by AR visualization and metal 3D printing. Each detail reflects our belief that true precision is quietly poetic—thoughtfully considered, subtly experienced, and deeply meaningful.
Join the Quiet Revolution
Kintao is more than watchmaking—it’s a thoughtful community rooted in subtle innovation and quiet excellence. Your insights, curiosity, and feedback continually guide us.
We warmly invite you to join our journey—experiencing firsthand how quiet, human-centered design can transform a daily object into something genuinely extraordinary.
Subscribe below for exclusive insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and early access to the Kintao Unify.
— Sam McMorran, Founder of Kintao