Founded in 2020, Trafford Watch Co. is an independent watch design and production company. The company was born out of a love for high quality objects that are meant to last a lifetime. We launched our first watch, the SOE Roadster, last year with great success. Since then we've learned a lot and are more motivated than ever to create heirloom pieces that owners can enjoy for years to come.

Our founder, Nathan Trafford, comes from a background of art and design, having been trained in traditional art and worked in the advertising world for over 12 years. Highly skilled in typography, illustration, photography and graphic design, Nathan has been able to turn his visual skills into a passion for creating time pieces.

Ever since watches became accessible, people have been using them as a way to celebrate important moments in life. A milestone at work. A major award. The birth of a child. Even after the advent of smart watches, traditional mechanical watches are still a symbol of success, be it personal or professional. While we don't think you necessarily need a special occasion to buy yourself a watch, the symbolism of using a time piece to celebrate profound moments is not lost on us. The Crossroads is a watch that was born out of this idea.

We weren't initially planning on a case like this. We were always more comfortable designing and wearing round watches. Outside of a few exceptions, we find that most square watches feel cumbersome, uncomfortable, and resemble something closer to a brick than piece of art for the wrist. We can say with true confidence, however, that the Crossroads is a phenomenally comfortable watch that feels right at home on the wrist.

The concept for the design started with the idea of new horizons and opportunities. The first thing we sketched was a curved horizon line, with a sun just peeking over it. This would become the side profile and crown of the eventual final design.

This design element of the curve repeats several times in the watch. For example, when looking straight on at the watch, the edges can look straight with rounded corners. Upon closer inspection you will see that the sides also curve, just like the side profile. When you view the the watch from a 3/4 angle, these curves combine to almost give the appearance that the watch is round. This softens the wrist presence, making it feel much less rigid, as a true square or rectangle would.

The lugs wrap all the way around the edge of the case, tapering down to provide a comfortable wear, whether you have small or large wrists. The high mirror polish on the outside of this band adds a visual playfulness that contrasts well with the vertically brushed body of the case.

If the case of a watch is the frame, then the dial of a watch is the artwork. Available in four colorways, each is complemented by a highlight color in the seconds hand and the minute markers. The backdrop of color may seem simple at first glance, but the varying levels, along with the subtle metallic sunburst brushed finish are a playground for light that invites the wearer to gaze for a while. It's an effect that would feel at home on even the most luxurious of dress watches.

While the buttery soft sunburst finish may feel luxurious, the large, bold numerals bring the watch back into an everyday casual category. This makes the watch really good at dressing up or down. It feels just as comfortable at a fancy dinner as it does at a late show at the local dive bar. The numerals are printed with thick Swiss BGW9 Super-LumiNova. During the day, this gives the dial another level of dimension. The design style is our modern take on old Americana hand-painted signs.

The angled chapter ring that runs along the outside edge of the dial serves as the bridge between the flat canvas of the dial and the curved edge of the case. The minute markers match the color of the hand-painted seconds hand, while the hour markers share the same luminous printing as the hour numerals.

Forgive us as we get a little artsy. The sapphire crystal is the unsung hero of the Crossroads watch. It embodies the concept of new horizons more than any other part of the design. Depending on what angle you gaze through the curved crystal, different versions of the watch come to life. It pulls light in and spreads it to the far corners of the dial, welcoming the wearer in and forcing them to question the geometry below the surface. The moment you think you've seen every color the dial has to offer, the blue tinted anti-reflective coating catches a rogue ray of light and changes the hue completely.

The crown is the focal point of the side profile of the Crossroads. In our first sketches, it represented the sun peeking over the horizon line, symbolizing new beginnings. It evolved several times during the design process, and we are very happy with where it ended up. It has a rounded, mushroom shape—in between an onion style crown and a traditional straight edged crown. The TWC monogram is highly polished against the material blasted interior. The sharply grooved edges make the crown easy to grip and add interesting light play.

The diameter of the crown is a robust 7.5mm, but only protrudes 3mm from the watch case. This makes it very easy to use without making it so large that it digs into the wrist.

When we released our first model, the SOE Roadster, we were floored by the amount of messages about why customers had purchased the watch. Yes, there were those who were interested in the story, or simply liked the look of the watch. But there were also many who purchased watches to celebrate specific moments in their lives—a son’s graduation, a new promotion at work, the birth of a child.

The symbolism of using a timepiece to celebrate profound moments is not lost on us. Each of us arrive at inflection points in our lives, and the paths that we choose define who we are. The Crossroads watch is meant to remind us of this truth. We are running the campaign on Kickstarter in order to increase visibility. It is already well past it’s funding target, so you can feel confident knowing that the project will be completed.