The watch that started it all!

Backstory

In 2015, I was ready to start Celeste Watch Company. My debut watch was Nostalgia, featuring blue abalone shell inlaid in cherry wood. I wanted a watch that was going to connect me to the ocean and help me feel closer to my memories of playing on the beach, surfing and being a carefree kid in Hawaii. I called it Nostalgia because the shell symbolized the ocean and the wood symbolized the trees here in Oregon. The design had a calming effect while also merging where I have been to where I am. I felt like I could look at that watch and know that no matter what, everything was going to be alright.

Process and Materials

Crafted by hand, one version features an abstract wave of blue abalone inlaid into maple wood, while the other showcases a naturally pigmented abalone wave set against the same warm maple surface. The dial is intentionally minimal, with no time markers, allowing the materials and form to take center stage. The result is a clean, uncluttered composition that makes telling time simple and instinctive.