The project focused on the development of images for a writing instrument integrating a miniature mechanical watch movement within the body of a fountain pen. The object combines two distinct traditions of precision: horology and fine writing instruments. Inside the pen, a hand-wound mechanical calibre composed of more than a hundred components is visible through sapphire elements, revealing the balance wheel and the oscillating mechanics normally hidden inside a watch case.
At the time the work began, the object was still being finalised through advanced prototypes. The bureau collaborated closely with the product and research teams to develop CGI images capable of anticipating the final presence of the piece. Digital models were constructed from early technical drawings and engineering data, allowing surfaces, materials and proportions to be explored before the object was fully manufactured. Particular attention was given to the interaction between polished metal surfaces, transparent sapphire elements and the exposed mechanical structure integrated into the pen.
For the bureau, the project demonstrated how image-making can accompany the development of an object rather than simply document it. CGI allowed the visual identity of the piece to emerge while the engineering was still evolving, creating a productive dialogue between designers, engineers and image-makers. In this process, the image becomes a projection tool that helps reveal how an object might ultimately exist.