Asked to name an influential architect of the 20th century, we are certain that Frank Lloyd Wright would be one of the first to come up. Born just two years after the American Civil War, Wright was very much of a different time. Yet his designs, a few over a hundred years old, seem to speak to us now more than ever; they still make an impact on the way we see and use buildings. 

You may wonder why should we make an effort to understand the architect’s work? After all, aren't watches our primary focus? We would venture to suggest that great architecture, and Wright’s work specifically, combines some of the same elements that get us excited about timepieces. Similar ideas of design, proportion, and functionality are at play. In their own ways, important watches and great architecture can be seen as forms of liveable, useable art.

 

Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim museum in New York

Possibly his most recognisable work, the Guggenheim museum in New York.