The SpaceView: A Work of Inner Beauty

In any normal line of thinking, the subject of watches and shoes would connect like apples and oranges. However, at this moment in history, we learn how the meaningful gift of the Accutron wrist watch, rooted in disruptive technology, led to the creation of a culturally iconic sneaker. It started on October 25, 1960, when Bulova released the first and most advanced watch in the world. 

At a time when electric watches were growing in trend, the Accutron broke the mold by having a “window” to see the inner workings of the watch as it functions. This dynamic view lent to the name of the watch dubbed “The Spaceview.” When it was released worldwide in 1976, over 5 million of these models were sold. 

However, little did the creators know that years later, this timepiece inspired another great discovery. A former architect named Tinker Hatfield was inspired by the transparent look of the Spaceview watch and used this kind of concept for the shoe company Nike. He incorporated a transparent bubble at the bottom of the shoe so you can see the inside of the shoe. 

With its floaty appearance, this shoe was named the Nike Air 1. Hatfield went into further detail by stating, “The shoe was designed to breathe, be flexible, and fit well but the fact it had the air window in the sole and the frame color around it meant it looked a lot different than other shoes in its day.”

Learn more about how a wristwatch inspired a design revolution in the infographic below: