Moels and Co 528 Watch by Betina Greca Menescal - Moels and Co Is Granted the Golden A' Design Award in Jewelry Design

Betina Greca Menescal - Moels and Co acknowledged for jewelry design by the international grand jury of the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 22, 2022 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Moels and Co 528 Watch by Betina Greca Menescal - Moels and Co, designed for Moels and Co, has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Jewelry Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2021 - 2022 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 assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the Golden A' Design Award Means

The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

About Moels and Co 528 Watch

Moels and Co 528 is a mid modern century inspired wrist watch with a rectangular shaped case and an asymmetric dial which was sectioned according to the golden ratio. The dial is painted with a silver metallic base mixed with a pigment coating that provides a luminous finish and depending on the light circumstances the color of the dial changes creating an effect that is highly attractive. Without frills, complications or needless decorations this design is truly uncommon on today's market.

About Betina Greca Menescal - Moels and Co

Betina Menescal is a born Brazilian, undergraduate architecture student at Westminster University in London and when the pandemic put the world in lockdown she put her creativity, focus and determination to teaching herself into the world of watchmaking. Given her personal interest in watches since she was 11, thanks to her father who is a longtime watch enthusiast and a collector, it is not surprising that Betina should have decided to create her own watch brand at age 21. She is heavily influenced by Mid-Century Modern, the Bauhaus and Dieter Rams; she is passionate about designing products that are simple, clean and beautiful.

Award Record

With this recognition, Betina Greca Menescal - Moels and Co is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Jewelry Design Award

The A' Jewelry Design Award is an international jewelry design competition recognizing good jewelry designs by best jewelry designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to jewelry designers, jewelry brands, jewelers and goldsmiths from all countries. Typical entries include rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and pendants. The awarded jewelry designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/jewelry

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/139840
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/139840
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!139840
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/330584
Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.getmoels528.com/

Media Contact

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

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Moels and Co 528 Watch
Function: Watch
Category: Jewelry Design
Discipline: Fashion Design
Industry: Luxury and Fashion
Colors: Saddle Brown, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Sienna and Indian Red
Images: 5
Client: Moels and Co

The Recognition

Laureate: Betina Greca Menescal - Moels and Co
Country: Great Britain
Recognition: Golden A' Design Award
Edition: 2021 - 2022
Design ID: #139840

Credits

Image Credits: Render by Stefan Brown/Renderologists Ltd, Front View Graphite, 2022.; Render by Stefan Brown/Renderologists Ltd, Back View, 2022.; Render by Stefan Brown/Renderologists Ltd, Exploded View, 2022.; Photographer Betina Menescal, 2022.; Photographer Betina Menescal, 2022. Video Credits: A film by Betina Menescal and David Goncalves. Cinematography and Editing by David Goncalves. Music by Matrika, license code: DJBJEWILOGIQV1DZ. All stock footage legally acquired under Shutterstock license.

Design Details

Unique Properties: Moels & Co 528 is a highly distinctive timepiece due to its unique rectangular case shape and the asymmetric dial which was sectioned according to the golden ratio. In addition, the see-through case back that shows the mechanical movement working, a 10 ATM water resistance rating much greater than standard 3ATM, a 3mm thick double domed sapphire crystal used mostly on dive watches and the dial painted with metallic shimmers that change colours depending on the light circumstances.
Inspiration: Thanks to my architecture background I am highly influenced by the Bauhaus and Mid-century Modern. I believe that many people like me are experiencing feelings of nostalgia for long-lasting products from the past that bear much simpler aesthetics so I decided to get back to basics and create a product using the same solid design principles from the past and added the best possible components and modern manufacturing.
Research: I used only social networks and received amazing feedback from the general public, watch enthusiasts and even from industry insiders. In just two weeks in reputable watch groups and forums I have received almost 5000 likes and more than 1400 positive comments about the design and 99% of them expressed they would definitely purchase a Moels & Co 528 timepiece due to its unique design, technical specifications and price point. This positive feedback was enough for me to valid my design and move forward.
Challenge: This is my first product and building a product from scratch is challenging, especially with no academic background in industrial design. I spent a long time on researching and educating myself, but my biggest challenge was finding the design path. It took me 2 years to find it but after that the development went smoothly despite the pandemic.
Realization and Technology: I used Vectorworks to develop the technical drawings and instead of using 3D printing I built the mock ups myself using only paper, cardboard and velcro. I then forwarded my CAD files to the factory, where they produced the prototype. The case is manufactured with high precision 5 axis CNC machining and it is made of 316L 1.4404 steel which is the most commonly used metal in watchmaking. Stainless steel remains the best material for case production due to its excellent properties and infinitely recyclability with no loss of quality.
Operation and Interaction: Mechanical watches do not require batteries as they are powered through the kinetic energy generated by the wearer's arm movement. A mechanical movement is made entirely of metal and it is incredibly robust, it can be easily serviced and repaired and will last decades with proper maintenance. A mechanical watch is a product that lasts for generations and it never comes to waste, it has an indefinite lifespan which quartz powered watches and smartwatches do not have.
Project Duration and Location: The project started in April 2020 in Como, Italy and finished prototype manufacturing in January 2022 in Como, Italy.
Specifications: The case measures only 33mm in height (41mm with lugs), 45mm in width and 11mm thick including the double domed sapphire crystal. The custom designed eco-friendly package is small, it measures only 18cm x 8cm x 4cm and I designed it to fit into a mailer bag and reduce shipping costs. Leather strap width and length are 22mm/20mm and 120mm/80mm respectively.
Keywords: Mid century inspired design, automatic watch, designed by woman, clean, classic, metallic colours, TV shaped case, premium materials.