Dezeen Magazine

Minimalist watch brand Instrmnt opens first store in Glasgow city centre

Glasgow watch brand Instrmnt has opened its first shop, furnishing the space with pieces by brands including Vitsœ, Hay and Folk (+ slideshow).

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

The shop provides a physical space for customers to browse and purchase Instrmnt's minimal watches, which are also available online from Dezeen Watch Store.

Dezeen and Instrmnt launched an exclusive limited-edition version of the brand's 01 model, the Instrmnt 01-DZN, last year.

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

The flagship is located on Parnie Street in Trongate, close to other independent stores, galleries and design practices in the city centre.

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

"The surrounding building is a traditional Victorian Glasgow tenement on Parnie Street – one of our favourites areas within the city centre," said Ross Baynham, who founded Instrmnt with Pete Sunderland.

"The unit we acquired had been left empty for a number of years and was in a state of disrepair, although thankfully structurally sound," he told Dezeen. "It's nice to be able to renovate a store and keep the existing facade and traditional features. We think we've made a positive impact on the street."

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

Inside, the space was painted white to create a blank canvas for the products on display. Grey rubber flooring found more commonly in hospitals and laboratories was used throughout.

Pieces from British company Vitsœ and Danish brand Hay have been used to furnish the store, with lighting provided by London-based Folk.

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

The brand's debut Instrmnt 01 watch range, which currently features four minimalist models influenced by mid-20th century industrial design, is presented on white-coloured shelves and tables.

Baynham and Sutherland described each product as "like an instrument that you put together" in an interview with Dezeen Watch Store when the collection launched in 2014.

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

The company's two-speed city bike named Instrmnt 02 is mounted against the wall. A bespoke day bed designed in collaboration with Namon Gaston is located towards the front of the store.

A collection of products from independent brands including Ajoto, Campbell Cole, Hancock and Iona Brown will also be stocked, along with a biannual selection of magazines curated by Invisible Bookshop.

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

"We tried to treat it as a spatial interpretation of our brand, both in terms of the aesthetic of our products and our overall ethos, but equally we wanted to create somewhere that was welcoming to visitors," said Baynham.

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

Although the designers chose not to alter the existing plan, they have plans for future expansion into the basement.

"We have the space in our basement to work on this year – that is phase two of the project," Baynham said. "It will hopefully act as an gallery and events space as the store evolves."

Instrmnt's flagship watch store in Glasgow

Another minimal watch brand, Uniform Wares, opened a physical showroom in London's Shoreditch last year, coinciding with a move to an entirely Swiss-made range.

A selection from Uniform Wares' updated collection of watches is also available at Dezeen Watch Store.

Photography is by ZAC and ZAC.