Overview

How can a watch encourage vulnerability and connection in a world driven by status and tradition? Split Watches, a premium UK brand founded by industry veteran Ed Margulies, set out to challenge the conventions of luxury watchmaking. Inspired by Ed’s own journey through trauma and recovery, Split was created to spark meaningful conversations around mental wellbeing and to celebrate the strength found in openness and community.

The Brief

Our brief was to develop a brand strategy built on honesty, empathy and genuine human connection. Split needed to stand apart from traditional notions of prestige and instead position authenticity as the new marker of value. The challenge was to create a visual and verbal identity that balanced emotional depth with refinement, making vulnerability feel powerful rather than fragile.

The Outcome

We created a brand identity that embraces imperfection as a form of beauty. Fractured imagery, physically distorted using ink rollers, scrapers and scalpels, became the defining visual language, representing both personal struggle and collective strength. Typography and materials were chosen to express tactility and honesty, combining raw textures with contemporary elegance.

Digitally, we designed and built a website that functions as both an e-commerce platform and a community hub, promoting dialogue and shared experience. Real-world photography captures moments of genuine connection, reinforcing the belief that luxury can carry meaning and that every watch can stand for solidarity as much as style.