Arcanaut’s Co-Founder Talks Creativity & Submarines

What was the last watch you bought?

Honestly, I don’t really buy watches so often. I know it sounds a bit daft, but usually I’m getting one-off versions of the watches I’ve worked on. So, I have a pretty substantial collection, but I’m not ‘buying’ watches much. That being said, the new Bulgari pieces are pretty tempting. Urwerk haunts my dreams.

Do you collect anything outside of watches?

Not so much. I think like lots of us, my hobby became my job! So aside from watches, not really. Although if you take a look around my home, you’d think I collected Lego and Peppa Pig merchandise—but that’s mostly my kids.

What’s at the top of your wishlist?

For nobody to figure out that I really have no idea what the hell I’m doing. But the cat might be out of the bag already. I can say that collaborations like the recent Micromilspec Project Sabotage have been a fantastically refreshing experience. It can be quite addictive—new blood and new energy really lift us all. And it gives me new vibes that I can bring back to Arcanaut. So really, we are all lifting each other. I really like working that way, both personally as well as professionally.

What is a recent find or discovery?

I think like a lot of us, the process of discovery is the real secret sauce that keeps us going. In my role at Arcanaut, I’m responsible for materials development and that really lets me go off the deep end, research-wise. Developing a new material and then figuring out what to do with it can be a very fun—if bizarre—way of spending your days. AI is proving to be an entertaining, if occasionally ominous, development tool. I actually used it to create a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon-style theme song for the Micromilspec project. It was so silly and unusual a direction that it perfectly worked as a catalyst for other creative processes in the project. Better than hiring a golf pro to wear the watch.

What inspires you?

Everything away from watches. I am a big believer in cross-pollination. If you want to find alternatives to a certain aesthetic, close the book and go walk around a junkyard. Or a spice boutique. Or East Vancouver. Little disruptions to the system are essential. As good as the human eye is at detecting patterns, it is even better at detecting disruptions to patterns. So, exercise that muscle a bit. Have a Negroni with lunch while you’re at it.

What is a book, podcast or album that changed the way you think?

I was a guest on a podcast last year that was put out by a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Called Free Range Humans, it was so interesting because no one gave a shit about watches or anything I work with. It was about education and how my experiences in school at a younger age affected who I am and how I view creativity. The reason you make decisions can be more telling than the decisions themselves. The other host was my uncle, Rod Allen, which was really cool. He’s a rockstar educator and superintendent in the [British Columbia] Ministry of Education, so it was a real treat ‘talking shop’.

Anthony Bourdain

Who is a celebrity or person of note that you admire?

This kind of question comes up a lot, and I always think of a cool answer after the fact. I’m going to say Anthony Bourdain. I think the personality and the attitude towards experiences is what really makes him stick in my mind. I think his mentality towards taking in the world around you shaped my previous answer about cross-pollinating yourself. And definitely the drinking at lunch.

What is your ideal long weekend?

An ideal long weekend would be that sweet spot between relaxing around the BBQ and exploring the archipelago islands up and down the west coast of Sweden here.

What would we always find in your fridge?

Unfortunately, me.

Arcanaut ARC II Phantom

What is a rule or mantra that you live by?

It gets used all the time but the whole, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” is one I absolutely love. It’s a bit corny and self-grandiosing, but I came up with a line while writing a TED Talk a few years back. It was simply, “Scars teach more than trophies.” Not getting it right the first time has a benefit all of its own. Oh, and maybe Bara Bada Bastu.

What are three interesting things about you that our readers should know?

First, I worked designing submarines in Australia. When I did my master’s thesis from design school in 2010, I was invited to spend three months on site at the advanced R&D wing of a company that develops next-gen submarines. They had 200 of the best engineers in the world but not a single designer. Imagine having a design conversation with a guy who does the maths behind ladders. But what was normal for them was alien to us and vice versa. It reinforced the way I wanted to work – going out of my way to not fit in.

Second, I was asked to work on anime in Dubai. I’d become good friends with a member of the royal family after he bought a watch I made and I’ve since worked on about five or six watches with him, some custom cars, and corporate branding for a coffee company. One of his projects was an anime production studio in Dubai, so I found myself in Japan talking to some industry giants. It didn’t go anywhere, but it did lead to the creation of the Black Badger, a character we’ve repurposed with Micromilspec.

Finally, as this is your motoring issue, I have the complete engine of my McLaren P1 sitting in my apartment—and I’m buddies with Bruno Senna—but I don’t have a driving license.

Arcanaut Fordite Nebulous Eye

What does the year ahead look like for you?

I’m extremely jazzed about the immediate future here. The last year has been a rough one with more sweating and swearing than one desires. But now it’s looking great. Expect some fantastic things to be inbound from Arcanaut, and the Micromilspec collaboration is a fantastic boost to the year also.