Whether for business or leisure, I spend a large portion of my time travelling. Switzerland is a frequent destination. I go there to meet with current partners, the artisans who craft a Linde Werdelin timepiece, and to find new ones.
Most recently, I was in Greece on holiday.
When travelling for work, this usually involves lots of meetings, checking the quality of Linde Werdelin components, and discussing new collaborations. Even when not travelling for work, grand architecture and nature fill me with design inspiration I can use. On travels, I keep an open mind about where the next flash of inspiration could come from. It could be buildings, but it could equally be a piece of music or simply talking to somebody. There’s no single place to look so I look everywhere. I try to take in everything around me, not knowing what could be useful. Some of it I will share on Instagram.
And in a way, my philosophy for packing for travels is very similar. I take everything. I like to be secure in the knowledge that I have everything I might need. I like to know that I have enough to extend a trip without notice. It provides me with a certain level comfort as I travel.
These are some of the items I will bring with me when travelling, both for business and pleasure.
My iPad Pro affords me the ability to get work done on the go. Emails, viewing and editing photos, and other tasks, can all be achieved with relative comfort thanks to the keyboard. The Apple Pencil, its stylus, even allows me to draw and sketch.
But when it comes to serious sketches, nothing compares with the feeling of a real pen and notebook. I might sketch a watch, but it could equally be writing down an idea or capturing the splendour of nature or architecture in front of me. Technology is great, but to me there is nothing as good as simply holding a pen to paper.
A camera, for me, is a tool. The lens pictured is a Canon but I don’t perceive cameras as objects of desire, they are simply a means to capture an image. I do not think of myself as a materialistic individual – I have a camera because it serves a purpose, and beyond the quality of its photographs it takes it makes no difference to me which camera it is.
I bring a couple of spare lenses so that no matter the shot I am trying to take, I have the tools available to create the perfect composition.
The hat is a staple item of mine. I have multiple in various colours and always bring one or two with me.
The leather folder I take with me always. For daily use, it can hold everything I need – laptop, wallet, keys. For travelling, I can comfortably add a passport and sketchbook. The folder is versatile, making it indispensable.
The headphones are important to bring. This Bang & Olufsen pair is noise-cancelling, and create a degree of freedom in a crowded place, or allow for privacy and concentration. Music creates a sense of home. Music has the power to mentally transport oneself elsewhere.
And then there’s the watch: I am usually wearing my Oktopus Moon Tattoo, so for some variety I also bring the SpidoLite Gold. I carry it using the watch pouch, and a spare rubber strap and strap-changing tool allow for quick and easy strap changes.
To follow my travels, you can find my photos on Instagram. In July, Jorn Werdelin posted his travel essentials, which you can read here.
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Morten Linde