Storm was formed by watch enthusiast Steve Sun, whose job in the retail fashion industry did not provide the funds to buy the quality timepieces that he wanted. In 1989, together with his wife, Sun founded Storm to produce well-designed and distinctive watches at affordable prices. His idea was to encourage the ownership of several watches, each of which could be accessorized to a particular outfit.
Sun’s initial sketches were so unusual and such a departure from the current trends in watch design that they proved extremely difficult for watch manufacturers to interpret. This led to an intense period of review and research in order to reach a better understanding of some of more unusual manufacturing processes needed.
Storm’s first watch, the “Tornado”, set the blueprint for the brand’s signature style – a distinctive retro-futuristic or Jules Verne steampunk feel. Very little information is provided on the face of the “Tornado”. There are no numbers or indices for minutes, with the only visual aid being a series of 12 raised metal dots that represent the hours. The hour and minute hands are also barely visible, with all but the tips of the pointers hidden behind a central disc.
The futuristic styling of the “Tornado” meant that Storm quickly gathered a cult following on the London fashion scene.
