Episode 31 – Nathan Trafford • Trafford Watch Co. | Designing Products That Gain Meaning Over Time

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Nathan Trafford, Founder of Trafford Watch Co., about how product meaning is actually built over time—through use, memory, and personal context.In a category shaped by heritage and craftsmanship, the real question becomes:not just how a product is designed, but how it lives with the customer.From structuring design between function and emotion to maintaining a human-centered approach in an AI-driven landscape, this conversation explores what it means to build products that stay relevant beyond the moment of purchase.We explore: • How function and emotion operate as two distinct layers in product design • Why meaning isn’t fixed at creation—but evolves through use • The operational realities of building in a slow, craft-driven category • The tension between scalability and maintaining a human-centered product • Why showing the process is becoming part of the product itselfIn watchmaking, where time is the core material, the real shift is happening at the intersection of design, ownership, and lived experience.✨ If you’re building products meant to stay relevant beyond the moment of purchase, structuring how they evolve with the customer becomes a strategic advantage, feel free to reach outGuest:👤 Nathan Trafford🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathantrafford/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathantrafford/Brand:🌐 traffordwatchco.com/🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traffordwatchco/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trafford-watch-co/✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator:https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clairelysbastienwald.substack.com