Blast from the Past

Xemex Offroad Compass

- text and photos by Martin Green

Swiss designer Ruedi Külling was about to turn 60 when he started working on a watch brand of his own.

Born in 1935, Külling was a designer at heart, making quite a name for himself in the world of advertising. He created ads for brands like Bic pens and Sinalco, the oldest soft drink brand in Europe. His posters became art in their own right and can even be found in museums around the world, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In the 1990s, Külling felt that the constraints of marketing interfered with his freedom to create impactful advertisements, so he decided to focus on a different field, that of watchmaking. In 1996, he launched his brand Xemex with the Offroad No.1, a watch that was not only clearly legible but also stood out due to its matte finish and movable lugs. This Xemex Offroad would also serve as the inspiration for the Offroad version shown here, which features a compass.