Groovecycle

Titan Watch Design Competition

Groove Cycle is a speculative retro-futuristic watch inspired by the neon-drenched aesthetics of the ’80s and ’90s. Drawing influence from Daft Punk and chrome disco culture, the watch functions like a miniature record player—powered by music capsules that trigger a light-show on your wrist. Designed as a playful, wearable tribute to analog nostalgia and electronic music, it reimagines what timekeeping could feel like in a synth-powered future.

Competition

The YDxTitan Retrofuturism Challenge was a global design competition hosted by Titan and Yanko Design, inviting designers to reimagine everyday lifestyle products through the lens of retrofuturism—blending nostalgic aesthetics with futuristic innovation. Participants could choose from four categories: analog wristwatches, women’s handbags, wearable jewelry, or eyewear. Open to students and professionals worldwide, the competition offered cash prizes totaling $2200, KeyShot license hampers, and internship opportunities at the Titan Design Excellence Center. Entries were judged on user potential, visual aesthetics, differentiation, and technical excellence.

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My Inspiration

I began this project by collecting a visual library of watches that I found compelling—whether for their form, concept, or storytelling. Alongside this, I explored artists and designers working in the space of speculative or futuristic product design to understand broader aesthetic directions.

Using these references as a foundation, I generated a series of quick concept sketches using Vizcom and Midjourney. This phase was all about rapid ideation—translating mood, silhouette, and material inspirations into visual prototypes.

Out of all the generated concepts, a few began to stand out—particularly those influenced by themes like Akira, Daft Punk, and space-futurism. These directions captured a blend of retro nostalgia and futuristic sleekness that resonated with the retrofuturistic brief.

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Akira

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Daft Punk

Space-futurism

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Out of all the concepts, I decided to develop the Daft Punk-inspired watch, drawn in by the chrome aesthetic—slick, futuristic, and full of attitude. The look immediately reminded me of a moment from the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton wore a chrome helmet designed by legendary Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama. Known for his hyper-realistic, metallic forms, Sorayama’s work perfectly captured the blend of retro-futurism and machine elegance I was aiming for.

That helmet felt like a crossover between art, performance, and sci-fi, and it became a visual anchor for my watch design. From there, I leaned fully into the chrome-heavy, Daft Punk-esque direction—crafting a timepiece that looks less like a gadget and more like a statement.

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