Refining the STERNGLAS Berlin
The STERNGLAS Berlin was introduced in late 2023 and gradually became one of the more successful models in our collection. When we started working on its next iteration, the goal wasn't to completely redesign the watch, but to improve some of the details we had identified over time.
As Product Lead, I was responsible for overseeing the development and deciding which elements we wanted to keep and where changes would make sense.
Improving the proportions
One of the main adjustments was the case geometry. We wanted to maintain the recognizable shape of the Berlin while making it more comfortable on the wrist.
To achieve this, we shortened the lugs, giving the watch more balanced proportions and improving how it sits on smaller wrists.
Although the change might seem minor, it required new tooling for the case. This was an additional investment, but one we felt was worthwhile for a model we wanted to continue developing in the long term.
Paying attention to the details
We also revisited the hands and date display.
The proportions of the hands were adjusted to improve legibility while maintaining the clean appearance of the original design.
Another detail was the date wheel. Instead of using a standard white date disc across all variants, we introduced color-matched versions that integrate more naturally with the dials.This added some complexity to production, but it made a noticeable difference to the overall appearance, particularly on darker dials.
Developing an existing design
What I find interesting about projects like this is that the changes are often relatively small when viewed individually. But together, they can make a significant difference to how a watch looks and feels.
The Berlin already had a recognizable design, so there was no reason to change everything. Instead, we focused on improving the proportions, legibility and details while keeping the character of the original.
For me, that's an important part of product development. Not every new iteration needs to look completely different from its predecessor. Sometimes it's more valuable to take an established design and make it a little better.
