Vitro Wristwatch by Leonardo Liendo Receives the Bronze A' Design Award in Watch Design

Leonardo Liendo recognized for watch design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 22, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Watch Design category for Vitro Wristwatch by Leonardo Liendo. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the Bronze A' Design Award

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Regarding Vitro Wristwatch

Vitro is a wristwatch that explores the idea of suspending time, both literally and conceptually. Its standout feature is a suspended movement design that creates the illusion of a floating dial, held in place by a triple crystal system which produces a shifting interplay of light and shadow. This sense of lightness extends to its one-piece strap, which adapts naturally to any wrist. Designed and crafted in Argentina from native hardwood and anodized aluminum, Vitro blends technology and craftsmanship to propose a more contemplative way of reading time.

About Leonardo Liendo

Leonardo Liendo is an Industrial Designer based in Córdoba, Argentina. Since graduating from the National University of Córdoba, he has been working independently on his own projects while also collaborating with design studios and companies on the development of new products. His design approach is characterised by strong conceptual thinking, technical rigor, aesthetic sensitivity, and a highly experimental creative process. The outcome is objects defined by a clear constructive logic, a minimal use of elements, and a distinctive formal identity.

Award Record

Leonardo Liendo is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.

About the A' Watch Design Award

The A' Watch Design Award is an international watch design competition recognizing good watch designs by leading watch designers and manufacturers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to watch designers, luxury goods manufacturers, industrial designers and product designers from all countries. Typical entries include chronographs, dive watches, dress watches, quartz watches, automatic watches and smartwatches. The awarded watch designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/watch

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/174646
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/174646
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!174646
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/370909
Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.leonardoliendo.com/

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

###

Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Vitro Wristwatch
Function: Wristwatch
Category: Watch Design
Discipline: Industrial Design
Industry: Luxury and Fashion
Colors: Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Gray and Light Slate Gray
Images: 5

The Recognition

Laureate: Leonardo Liendo
Country: Argentina
Recognition: Bronze A' Design Award
Edition: 2025 - 2026
Design ID: #174646

Credits

Image Credits: Leonardo Liendo, 2025.

Design Details

Unique Properties: It redefines the wristwatch through a suspended movement design where dial, hands, and mechanism appear to float inside the case. This is made possible by a triple-crystal structure that lets light pass unobstructed, creating both visual lightness and structural clarity. Eliminating buckles and adjustment holes, it features a seamless one-piece strap with a pinless clasp adaptable to any wrist, and modular architecture crafted from noble Argentinian materials.
Inspiration: Vitro was inspired by the idea of suspending time, which it reflects both literally and conceptually throughout its design. The project originates from a personal reflection on how time is perceived and valued in contemporary life. In a fast-paced world where time often slips by unnoticed, Vitro offers a deliberate moment of pause. Its design concept of suspended movement turns time-reading into a unique visual and symbolic experience.
Research: Research focused on technical resolution while preserving the design concept. The process involved sketches, mock-ups, and prototypes to test structure, proportions, and fit. Extensive iterations refined the triple-crystal system for precise assembly. Anthropometric data guided the strap to fit a wide range of wrist sizes. Several native hardwoods, aluminium alloys, and finishes were evaluated to define the final materials.
Challenge: The main creative challenge was resolving the suspended movement design without compromising the structure or proper functioning. Additionally, the biggest production obstacle was precisely machining both concentric faces of the small wooden case using local technology. Hardwood is a non-traditional watchmaking material that requires specialized technical skill.
Realization and Technology: It is crafted from local materials using both industrial and traditional techniques. The case is CNC-milled from Itin, a native hardwood known as 'Argentinian ebony' for its extreme hardness and dark brown colour that deepens to nearly black over time. The hand-turned caseback is anodized aircraft-grade aluminium, as is the CNC-milled buckle. The one-piece strap is die-cut from genuine Argentinian leather. All crystals are mineral glass. Each timepiece is signed, numbered, and hand-finished.
Operation and Interaction: Vitro offers a natural and intuitive way of reading time, guided only by the crown placed at 12 o'clock. Its suspended movement design and triple-crystal system create dynamic light and shadow effects that shift with the wearer's perspective. The strap features a slider buckle that adapts comfortably to any wrist size, fastening securely without pre-punched holes.
Project Duration and Location: The project started in August 2021 and finished in December 2024 in Cordoba, Argentina.
Specifications: Diameter: 44 mm; Thickness: 9mm; Strap length: 247 mm / Crystals: Mineral / Case: CNC-milled and hand-polished Itin (Prosopis Kuntzei); Density 1,150 gr/cm³; Janka Hardness 14,220 N / Movement: Miyota Caliber 2035 (Japanese Quartz); Accuracy ± 20 s/month / Caseback: Turned, CNC-drilled, anodized and laser-engraved aluminium 6061-T6 / Strap: Die-cut genuine leather (100% aniline) with goatskin lining / Buckle: CNC-milled and anodized aluminium 5052-H34 / Fittings: Polished crown, hands and rivets
Keywords: Watch, Timepiece, Luxury, Suspended Time, Industrial Design, Argentinian Design, Industrial Designer, Hardwood Watch