EONIQ is a fashion startup founded by three friends in Hong Kong. Led by Quinn Lai, the brand is the first in the world to launch an app that allows users to design their own watch. There are timepiece brands where you can customise components but is often limiting in what can be achieved and how it can be done. EONIQ enables users to choose the components from the leather straps, the dial, the face down to uploading your own image for personalised engraving.

I customised my own watch recently and was astounded by how easy it was to navigate the app and piece together your creation. Although you are designing from existing templates, it is impossible to create a final product that is the same as someone else. I spent over an hour before arriving at my final choice with time largely spent on deciding the bottom face layer as options abound.

I was drawn to the brown sanded leather strap and decided that that would be the component I would build from my timepiece from. The colour had a militant appearance so I narrowed the selection of the other components to achieve the military style I wanted.

Knowing the style that I was aiming for, I chose the face that had a triangle cut-out which revealed the black steel, skeletal mechanics and gave the design a masculine and bold feature.

The top face layer is optional but I could not go pass without a hint of colour. I settled for the green detailing as it was closer to the military style that I wanted to achieve. My advice for those who are indecisive or get distracted is to decide on a style and build your watch from this.

The watch is hand assembled within 3 – 4 weeks. The combination of traditional craftsmanship, web based technologies and user experience experience bring together unique users’ designs with timeless quality.

Like many startup companies, the founders of EONIQ understand the need to create watches that are affordable (the custom timepieces start at US$198) and unique and develop an app that is intuitive. The founders have organised student watch design competitions as well partook in various charity fundraisers and I can’t wait to see how the brand grows and what they offer next.