Interview with Garrick L, Founder of iKi Studio

Now live at kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/850616804/iki-a-series-minimalist-watches-with-swiss-movemen

Hi Garrick, please share with us more about yourself and your background in this industry

As far as I can remember, I have always liked to draw, as well as possessed a curiosity for how things work. These childhood preoccupations grew into a passion for design that led me to read Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University. Over the subsequent years, I have participated in business ventures and consultancy work where my involvement includes branding, graphic and interior design. It is a natural progression to fuse my expertise and entrepreneurial drive with creative product development.

Please share with us how you got started with iKi Studio

I had moved to Melbourne a few years ago and immediately felt at home in the strong design culture and emerging maker movement. This triggered the formation of iKi Studio with a vision to create a range of products that has a consistent brand focus on simplicity and the contemporary lifestyle. Being a watch enthusiast, it was only natural that the first product for iKi Studio would be a series of watches.

What inspires you when it comes to design

I draw a lot of design inspiration from Japanese aesthetics, which actually embodies more varied design concepts than most people outside of Japan realise. One of these concepts was of course ‘iki’, meaning chic without being complicated. For me, this became the most important principle informing the design of the ‘A’ series watch.

What are your unique selling propositions compared to many startup brands out there

The combination of a minimalist and timeless design, durability and reliability, together with an affordable price point is our unique selling proposition. Many fashion watches these days are powered by lower quality movements so we believe that balancing those aspects of quality and price is something that few other brands have.

Will the ‘A’ Series be the only design and model for iKi Studio? Or will there be more models coming up

We have already started preliminary sketches and formulated ideas for future watch models but before finalising, we think it is important to obtain feedback on current models and incorporate suggestions and ideas in any future models

What are your goals for iki Studio in the next 5 years

Our vision is to continuously extend our product range to include more watches and possibly other lifestyle accessories that follow our design philosophy and commitment to quality.

Which timepiece is your holy grail and what do you personally look for in a watch

As a designer, perfection is a necessary aspiration but always a moving target. At this moment, I don’t have a perfect timepiece in mind because my criteria of it is still evolving. I try to appreciate each watch I come across on its own terms, be it mechanical sophistication, practicality or physical appearance.

My most cherished watch is an old Rolex Oyster Perpetual passed down by my father. It may be an outdated timepiece by most measures but what it represents to me is priceless.

Is there anything else you would like to add to the Gracious Watch Readers?

Readers, if you share the same ethos of everyday sophistication as iKi Studio, I invite you to be one of the first owners of the iKi ‘A’ series watches. Simply head over to our Kickstarter campaign starting from 12 April 2016 and check out the pledging options.