My Framer Site

The Vision

The vintage watch market operates on trust, expertise, and aesthetics — in that order. Collectors need to verify authenticity, compare references, check market pricing, and connect with reputable sellers, all within an ecosystem that historically lives across scattered forums, social media groups, and word-of-mouth networks.

PaddleWaves set out to centralize this: a comprehensive watch database paired with a peer-to-peer trading platform. My job was to make it feel as refined and trustworthy as the timepieces it showcased — a design that could earn the confidence of collectors who spend five figures on a single purchase.

The vintage watch market operates on trust, expertise, and aesthetics — in that order. Collectors need to verify authenticity, compare references, check market pricing, and connect with reputable sellers, all within an ecosystem that historically lives across scattered forums, social media groups, and word-of-mouth networks.

PaddleWaves set out to centralize this: a comprehensive watch database paired with a peer-to-peer trading platform. My job was to make it feel as refined and trustworthy as the timepieces it showcased — a design that could earn the confidence of collectors who spend five figures on a single purchase.

The Vision

The vintage watch market operates on trust, expertise, and aesthetics — in that order. Collectors need to verify authenticity, compare references, check market pricing, and connect with reputable sellers, all within an ecosystem that historically lives across scattered forums, social media groups, and word-of-mouth networks.

PaddleWaves set out to centralize this: a comprehensive watch database paired with a peer-to-peer trading platform. My job was to make it feel as refined and trustworthy as the timepieces it showcased — a design that could earn the confidence of collectors who spend five figures on a single purchase.

Brand & Identity

I built the brand from scratch. The name PaddleWaves evokes movement and precision — fitting for a platform about mechanical craftsmanship. The visual identity balances heritage with modernity: a logotype inspired by mid-century watchmaking typography, paired with a contemporary color system of deep navy, warm gold, and crisp neutrals.

The brand system extended across every touchpoint — social media templates, email campaigns, packaging concepts, and the digital product itself. I created guidelines detailed enough that future team members could maintain brand consistency without me in the room. The VI wasn't decoration — it was a trust signal. In a market where scams and misrepresentation are common, looking legitimate is table stakes.

I built the brand from scratch. The name PaddleWaves evokes movement and precision — fitting for a platform about mechanical craftsmanship. The visual identity balances heritage with modernity: a logotype inspired by mid-century watchmaking typography, paired with a contemporary color system of deep navy, warm gold, and crisp neutrals.

The brand system extended across every touchpoint — social media templates, email campaigns, packaging concepts, and the digital product itself. I created guidelines detailed enough that future team members could maintain brand consistency without me in the room. The VI wasn't decoration — it was a trust signal. In a market where scams and misrepresentation are common, looking legitimate is table stakes.

Brand & Identity

I built the brand from scratch. The name PaddleWaves evokes movement and precision — fitting for a platform about mechanical craftsmanship. The visual identity balances heritage with modernity: a logotype inspired by mid-century watchmaking typography, paired with a contemporary color system of deep navy, warm gold, and crisp neutrals.

The brand system extended across every touchpoint — social media templates, email campaigns, packaging concepts, and the digital product itself. I created guidelines detailed enough that future team members could maintain brand consistency without me in the room. The VI wasn't decoration — it was a trust signal. In a market where scams and misrepresentation are common, looking legitimate is table stakes.

Product Design

The product spans two connected experiences: a web-based watch database and a mobile trading app. For the database, I designed deep-dive watch profiles with technical specifications, historical context, market price tracking, and high-resolution imagery — organized so both casual browsers and serious researchers could find what they needed.

The information architecture was the hardest part: vintage watches have overlapping reference numbers, regional variants, and decades of production history. I worked through multiple taxonomy approaches before landing on a system that balanced searchability with browsability.

The mobile trading app was designed around trust and transaction confidence. I created verification flows, seller reputation systems, escrow payment interfaces, and messaging patterns that encouraged transparency. Every interaction was designed to reduce the anxiety that comes with buying a high-value watch from a stranger on the internet.

The product spans two connected experiences: a web-based watch database and a mobile trading app. For the database, I designed deep-dive watch profiles with technical specifications, historical context, market price tracking, and high-resolution imagery — organized so both casual browsers and serious researchers could find what they needed.

The information architecture was the hardest part: vintage watches have overlapping reference numbers, regional variants, and decades of production history. I worked through multiple taxonomy approaches before landing on a system that balanced searchability with browsability.

The mobile trading app was designed around trust and transaction confidence. I created verification flows, seller reputation systems, escrow payment interfaces, and messaging patterns that encouraged transparency. Every interaction was designed to reduce the anxiety that comes with buying a high-value watch from a stranger on the internet.

Product Design

The product spans two connected experiences: a web-based watch database and a mobile trading app. For the database, I designed deep-dive watch profiles with technical specifications, historical context, market price tracking, and high-resolution imagery — organized so both casual browsers and serious researchers could find what they needed.

The information architecture was the hardest part: vintage watches have overlapping reference numbers, regional variants, and decades of production history. I worked through multiple taxonomy approaches before landing on a system that balanced searchability with browsability.

The mobile trading app was designed around trust and transaction confidence. I created verification flows, seller reputation systems, escrow payment interfaces, and messaging patterns that encouraged transparency. Every interaction was designed to reduce the anxiety that comes with buying a high-value watch from a stranger on the internet.