TheMontblancWorldsecondisaglobalappphotoprojectthatallowsallparticipantstotakeaphotoattheexactsamesecond,usingacentrallycontrolledself-timer.
Client
Montblanc
Industry
Consumer Goods
Services
Technical ConsultingUX DesignVisual DesignSoftware DevelopmentDevOpsProducing
A second connects people around the globe.
We froze the world for a second.
With the Montblanc Worldsecond app, people worldwide were able to take a photo at exactly the same second. The initiative translated the precision of a chronograph into a communal, visual experience and used watch aesthetics as a design language.
The challenge was to powerfully showcase the brand and product while creating a global experience that reliably worked across millions of devices.
Brand and time measurement were to become tangible in a shared moment.
The goal was millisecond-accurate synchronization across all devices.
Core KPIs were technical accuracy, participant numbers, and social reach; successful outcomes were measured by the millisecond-accurate triggering, thousands of participants, and global interaction.
The interface embraced the chronograph aesthetic: countdown and menus operated in 60ths of a second, buttons were circular icons, and background graphics were generated based on processes to make the idea of connected points visible.
Technically, we built our own time server, synchronized with the atomic clock, and compensated for network latency so that the app could trigger with millisecond accuracy across time zones and network conditions.
Precision to the millisecond was our technical aspiration.
The result was visible and measurable.
Thousands of participants from over 80 countries took part, social performance was strong, and the campaign enhanced brand perception. Montblanc's core value of time was experienced as an emotional, global experience.
We realized the project in four phases: Discover clarified the idea and target groups, Prototype tested the time synchronization, Build implemented servers, UI, and social logins, and Launch coordinated the global event with a central self-timer.
The greatest impact occurred when precise technology met a simple, emotional user promise: participation was easy, the shared moment was powerful, and visible on social networks.
Technology and emotions must go hand in hand.