Hello and welcome to another issue of the Designer's Notebook.
Today I will be going through some more of our new 2019 Geckota concepts that have been recently posted on Instagram, as well as giving you more of an insight into the design process and inspiration behind our new designs. Accurately titled 'Gold Rush', we will focus on 3 new renderings all posted on our Instagram featuring gold cases, as I think gold is finally due to have a revival. Recently it has been considered 'anti-social' to be wearing a solid gold day date, we are thinking to flip this on it's head and look to the heydays of solid-gold pieces as inspiration, which we will combine with the space age design language of the Geckota 2019 collection to bring it right into the future.
The Gold E-01 - Now discontinued.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/7789/4046/files/Geckota-e-01-gold-2019-concept.jpg)
The Geckota E-01 2019 concept, featuring a gold case and olive green dial.
Our first concept is from the E-01 family, a recent additional to the Geckota range that has proven quite successful and unique at the price point with the 36.5mm case (Oh yeah, small watches are back too...) and what better way to evoke vintage style through strong use of colour and a warm, yellow gold case. For this watch we have mixed in some very complementary colours, having quite a subtle yet distinct olive green dial and strap which plays perfectly with the extremely subtle dark burgundy red date printing. Olive green is something that we have used before in our G-01 range, also with gold hands and indices so we knew it would surely be a winner, we find it quite unique as most brands seem to focus on more of a true green colour, but we like to do things different here and we think it makes it really quite special. The olive green works wonders with the vertically brushed fumé style dial as it can shift towards brown, showing more warm tones through to blend well with the gold.
What's your opinions on this colour combination? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Specification: Case size: 36.5mm Case thickness: 12mm Water resistance: 100 meters Movement: ETA 2824-2
Next up, the gold C-01, Chronotimer Chronograph
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/7789/4046/files/Geckota-c-01-gold-2019-concept.jpg)
The Geckota C-01 2019 concept, featuring a gold case and metallic blue/grey dial.
The next concept draws on another familiar face, a gold and metallic blue/grey version of our popular C-01 racing chronograph. Here shows further colour experimentation for the dials, we are trying to create something quite unique but still very reminiscent of that 1970's chic style. Throughout designing these concepts I have been looking closely into the vast array of Rolex Day-Dates from the 1970s, which were full of fun and interesting colours, such as the stella dials, or even the colorful matte & sunburst dials.. We are also working on a new updated version of the C-01 racing chronograph, packed with many more dial details and racing spirit but I'll leave that for another post. This colour scheme is basically the opposite of the E-01 above. I have mixed the warm tones of the case, hands and indices with a very cold and metallic toned dial, giving exceptional contrast so it is more legible but also really transforming the gold. I think this works well for the racing piece as it has a bit more 'attitude' than the E-01, which the mixture of warm tones allows for a subtle, stylish and soft outlook. Although I do think for future versions that a nice use of colour on the dial, such as red or orange would really help it to pop.
What would you recommend to add to the racing chronograph, and what do you prefer: soft warm toned or aggressive contrast?
Specification: Case size: 42mm Case thickness: 12.5mm Water resistance: 100 meters Movement: ETA 2824-2
The Newcomer
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/7789/4046/files/Geckota-G-01-39mm-gold-2019-concept.jpg)
The Geckota C-01 2019 concept, featuring a gold case and metallic blue/grey dial.
Another concept featuring the new 39mm redesigned G-01 case (I first covered this in the previous blog post, you can read about that here), this time fully retaining the Pioneer Collection and even featuring the current vertically brushed teal fumé dial (Yes, that dial is that good in person too, maybe better). The G-01 was our first watch to contain this hybrid vintage and modern design cues, so it is the perfect match to a gold case without really needing any changes at all. In the 39x10mm case I think this will make a very elegant offering which will suit both men and women. Specification: Case size: 39mm Case thickness: 10mm Water resistance: 100 meters Movement: ETA 2824-2 The main issue with gold cases is finding the balance, it can easily tip over to the gaudy side if it is too loud or large, but I have designed these to make the best use of a gold case and hopefully open peoples eyes to the power the warm tones can bring. As mentioned above, I'd love to hear your feedback so we can continue to refine our designs, I will be showing some design inspiration reference points and as always a bit of behind the scenes of the watches design.
Behind the scenes of watch design
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/7789/4046/files/Geckota-behind-the-scenes-1.jpg)
Some of the inspiration & the key models included in this blog post.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/7789/4046/files/Geckota-behind-the-scenes-2.jpg)
Some of the printed out images of Rolex Day-Dates that served as inspiration for the colour and style.
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0591/7789/4046/files/Geckota-behind-the-scenes-3.jpg)
Checking over the technical drawings of the new 39mm G-01 case, with a sneak peak of new dial options in the background.
I hope that the images above give an interesting insight to the design process and help you to understand our thought process in solidifying the brands design language. Be sure to stay tuned to this blog section for more notes from the designer and to be a part of the Geckota story.