I first met Magnus Swann at a Yorkshire Watch Folks meet-up before it officially became Redbar Leeds. Having to rush to the train station for the last trips back, I ask where he’s off to. Sheffield, he says, back to university.
Fast forward a couple of years, we keep bumping into each other in various events including British Watchmakers Day and Watches & Wonders. Every time we meet, there is always something new, something good, something cooking. Since getting that industry year placement at Studio Underd0g, and getting involved in numerous collaborations including Project Passi0n with H.Moser & Cie, he has really come to his own in honing his watch design expertise.
At 23 years of age, he already has a packed design portfolio, a great network of people and industry experience which will not fail to impress. As part of his final year deliverable from university, he has established his own watch brand and designed its first model. I’ve recently had a conversation with him about Anemoic (pronounced an-uh-moy-ik) – his watch brand, and the Versailles, its first model. We also delve into his thoughts about design, collaborating with key industry figures and what the future might hold.
Here’s how it played out…
So, what makes Magnus tick these days?
Currently, in the world of watches, my new-to-me 1960s Omega Constellation 14900, designed by the late, great Gérald Genta.
There’s something so spot-on about its proportions that really scratches an itch!
What ticks off Magnus these days?
Again, in the world of watches – people who shop on specs alone! I’m a big advocate for encouraging enthusiasts to look beyond the numbers and appreciate the design effort that goes into some of the watches on the market today.
What would you have become if you weren’t going to be a watch designer?
Well… while hunting for placements during my second year at university, I applied for any role that had the word “designer” in it. That included a ‘content designer’ role at a well-known CAD company. Little did I know, the job involved writing tooltips for the software – something far better suited to someone with an English degree than an product design student.
What do you consider makes a good design?
I’m not sure I’m fully qualified to answer this yet. But in my process, I spend a huge amount of time making sure proportions feel ‘right’ and every detail is considered. Confidence in your design choices is also critical.
What’s in a name – why pick Anemoic as the brand name?
The word Anemoic stems from anemoia – a nostalgia for a time you never experienced.
It ties into the brand’s belief that, for us enthusiasts, watches can make you feel something, someone or somewhere. Each watch is designed to capture and synthesise one’s anemoia for a chosen time, place, and atmosphere.
The “Battle of Versailles” was a turning point in the history of fashion. What led you to picking the fashion show as a facet of inspiration for your first model?
Unfortunately, there’s no romantic story behind it – it came down to identifying an event that evoked my own sense of anemoia, to ensure the design felt genuine.
My mentality was: if I can design a watch that transports me to this time, place and atmosphere, chances are it’ll do the same for others.
If you were to pick one designer each from the French and American team, who would it be and why?
From the French side – Pierre Cardin. Responsible for the incredible Espace collection, which saw him collaborate with Jaeger.
From the Americans, it has to be Halston. While designing Anemoic and Versailles, I was lucky enough to interview one of his models at The Battle Of Versailles – Alva Chinn.
If you were to go back in time to be part of certain event, take in the atmosphere and use that as inspiration for your next watch, what will it be?
I see what you’re doing here, Daryl… I have in fact started trying to identify the next event that could inspire a second watch – it’s proving tricky!
But take a look at the 1972 Rothschild Surrealist Ball.
What’s your favourite feature of the Versailles?
The aquamarine crystal—not just because it (in my opinion) looks fantastic, but because of the collaboration it took to make it a reality, even at prototype stage.
Working with Tara Coomber, an incredibly talented independent lapidarist, has been a total pleasure.
How did you find working with the various contributors to this project?
Despite having met a few times now, I still struggle not to fangirl when chatting with the likes of Mike France and Andrew Morgan. So having them contribute directly to my student project has been a dream come true.
But more than anything, it’s been humbling. The generosity shown by key industry figures to a pesky student has been incredible – especially the support from Richard (Studio Underd0g), Andrew (Andrew Morgan Watches), David (The Strap Tailor), Jonathan Rickett (Bedford Dials) and Tara.
What did you find was the most challenging aspect of developing the Versailles?
The time constraints. As this all began as a student project, I had to stick to a strict schedule – peer reviews, group presentations and various submissions… While the project had been brewing behind the scenes for a while, proper work only began in December 2024, and the final deadline was mid-May 2025.
So yeah, it was pretty fast going!
You currently have no launch plans, and this is technically a university project that will most likely knock it off the park. Have you had many indications of interest?
Thanks to the press coverage (which I never expected in my wildest dreams), I’ve had around 250 registrations of interest via my website. (magnusswann.co.uk/anemoic)
So a limited production run is definitely on the cards – but there’s still a few things to figure out before we cross that bridge.
What is your key learning point in establishing Anemoic and bringing the Versailles from concept to prototype?
To keep it short – designing watches is the easy part, everything else isn’t. The level of organisation and project management took some serious adjustment, and without Andrew Morgan’s help, the brand vision and storytelling would’ve been an incoherent mess. I’ve got a whole new level of respect for the work that goes into turning a microbrand concept into something real
You can find out more about Magnus, Anemoic and the Versaille by going to magnusswann.co.uk/anemoic as well as following the latest news on Instagram via @anemoic.watches
The Timepiecer 
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