HODINKEE Radio: Episode 44: Ini Archibong

June 03, 2019

Subscribe to the show: (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn). Already heard it once or twice? Please leave a short review here, and tell us which guests we should have on! I love those moments in life where you unexpectedly put two and two together, realizing those chance connections between things, often weeks, months, or years after theyve happened. Honestly, its no small part of why I ended up a journalist.?So, back in January, I was preparing for an interview at SIHH with a designer who Id been told was working with Herms on a totally new watch collection. His name was Ini Archibong and I just couldnt figure out why that sounded so familiar. I mean, Ini Archibong isnt a name youd soon forget, right? A quick Google search later and I realized that Id seen C and loved C some of his furniture and lighting designs at Milans Salone del Mobile fair back in 2016. The work had left an impression in the back of my mind, and suddenly I knew what one of the highlights of my SIHH was going to be.Sure enough, chatting with Ini about his watch, the Galop dHermes, was a breath of fresh air during the show. Before I left the booth we decided that a longer conversation right here on HODINKEE Radio was a no-brainer.?Despite hailing from Pasadena, California, Ini lives in Neuchatel, Switzerland, so it took some time for the stars to align. But, while in town for New York Design Week, Ini swung by the HODINKEE offices just before hopping on his flight back to Switzerland. We talked about how his love of watches led him to attend design school in Switzerland, what its like to learn about watchmaking from inside Herms, and the challenges of being innovative in a tradition-minded industry.Inis an awesome guy and if he hadnt had that flight to catch, I think youd be looking at a two or three hour episode here.We hope you enjoy Episode 44 of HODINKEE Radio. Check out the show notes below and let us know what you think in the comments. Wrist Check Ini loves complications C but only on other people. For him, even having a seconds hand on his wrist feels a bit over-the-top and unnecessary. He's a man after my own heart. So, combine that with his recent work with Herms and it's probably no surprise that he was sporting a classic, beautiful Slim d'Herms in stainless steel with a silvery white dial. Usually you see people wearing these watches with a suit or a sportcoat, but Ini dressed his down with some red flannel and a Thundercats t-shirt. This is a great reminder that you should always make sure you're wearing your watch and that it's not wearing you instead.Also in tow were two other watches important to Ini. The first was a Panerai PAM 112, the first proper, "nice" watch that Ini ever bought. These are something of a cult classic in the design community (even more so than they are elsewhere) for their clean looks and the way that Panerai nails the details like the crown lock and the sandwich dial. We also had an HYT H0, which, to be honest, wasn't something I expected to see from Ini. However, thinking about it, it actually makes a lot of sense: the way that the H0, especially in solid gold, plays with notions of luxury, explores the intersection of mechanics and aesthetics, and expresses the materiality of the case, crystal, and fluid display, are all very much in line with Ini's own work. Show Notes 2:24NYxDesign8:15 Ini's basketball playing brother, Koko19:40 "A Herms Watch for Any Gender," (from The New York Times)26:28 Herms Galop d'Herms49:06 Sector Watches50:06 Ini's Slim D'Herms50:25 Ini's HYT H053:48 Dario Pegoretti bikes57:48 Kari Voutilainen1:00:35 Nous concept store1:01:30 The Kajitsu Playlist1:02:37 Lost In Translation trailer