■ About the Brand

SUUNTO, the most accurate compass on the planet
Tuomas Vohlonen, the founder of Suunto, a maker of sports precision watches, was a surveyor and orienteering enthusiast. The magnetized needles of the dry-capsule compasses common in his day suffered from significant vibration, making it hard to pinpoint the exact heading when handholding the compass. He reasoned that filling the compass with liquid would dampen the vibration of the needle and allow for greater accuracy.
Vohlonen was awarded a patent for the method he had devised, which involved filling the capsule with liquid and sealing it under vacuum conditions. The M-311, a compass designed to be affixed to the wrist with a leather strap like a wristwatch, was the first official model that he tried to mass-produce. Vohlonen’s first “factory” was his living room, and his first customers were close friends, all of whom were fellow surveyors and orienteers. Vohlonen established a manufacturing firm called Suunto Ltd. in 1936 to produce his liquid-fluid compass.
Suunto, whose name means “direction” in Finnish, has continued to chart a course of its own, from the development of the world’s first dive computer, to the creation of a range of wearable outdoor computers and sports and lifestyle products. And the brand has expanded into the areas of outdoor and lifestyle.
Orienteering is an outdoor sport in which competitors navigate to a designated destination using only a map and compass, with success being determined by the accuracy of the instruments used.

■?About the Publication
Magazine B is an ad-less monthly publication that dedicates one issue to one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe. The magazine introduces the brand’s hidden stories, as well as its sensibility and culture, and is an easy read for anyone with an interest in brands.

■?About the Publisher
JOH. was established in April 2011 by Suyong Joh, former Director of Creative Marketing & Design at NHN. He oversaw and directed the construction of NHN Green Factory, which is the headquarters of NHN, the company that has earned domestic and international reputation as “Google of Korea.” He also created a sensation in the publishing world when he compiled the construction process in a publication, Green Factory. Currently, he leads JOH., a group of creative directors that he has brought together from various fields, and he is conducting complex projects encompassing architectural design, interior, products, and brand consultation for major companies. On the other hand, he is making preparations for launching an independent brand that reflects the company’s perspective for good brands. The first fruit of such endeavor is magazine B, created to serve as the bridge connecting JOH. with the world.