ISSEY MIYAKE WATCH, a collaboration between renowned designers and ISSEY MIYAKE, captivates with its bold, designer-led concepts. Last year saw the debut of the "1/6" watch, created by Naho Tamura, the first female designer to join the project. This year, the collection expands with new color variations, including a khaki model, available at ISSEY MIYAKE stores nationwide and the watch retailer TiCTAC.

Launched in 2001, ISSEY MIYAKE WATCH has featured collaborations with designers such as Jasper Morrison and Tokujin Yoshioka. Until now, all participating designers were men.

This context led Naho Tamura, the first female designer, to approach the watch not merely as an object of desire—a typically masculine trait—but to consciously strip away its purely aesthetic elements.

In the age of smartphones, watches are increasingly viewed as accessories, with a preference for visually striking and attention-grabbing designs.

However, Tamura recognized that the act of simply observing a watch offers a luxurious escape from the constant influx of information. She therefore refocused on the watch's fundamental role as a tool for measuring time.

The "1/6" emphasizes the movement of the second hand and the indices, visually representing the passage of time as the long hand sweeps across the extended markers.

To ensure precise ticking, a mechanical movement with finer hand movements was chosen. The model name, 1/6, refers to the movement's vibration frequency, indicating that the second hand moves six times per second.

Unconventionally, the crown is positioned at the 6 o'clock mark. Typically found at 3 o'clock, or at 12 o'clock for a pocket watch aesthetic, Tamura placed a large crown, inspired by the adjustment screw of a balance scale, at the 6 o'clock position.

Surprisingly, the placement feels remarkably natural in use. Deviating from convention has enhanced its appeal as a functional tool.

Considerable effort was dedicated to harmonizing the colors of the indices and dial to strongly emphasize the ticking time. The new color combination features a black and gray dial with a khaki strap.

"I chose the khaki band as a metaphor for adventure and activity," Tamura explains.

In uncertain times like these, we must seriously consider how to best utilize the time we are given. This watch, as a tool for marking time, teaches us how to engage with it.

Retailers
【Boutiques】
All ISSEY MIYAKE MEN stores nationwide, ISSEY MIYAKE MARUNOUCHI, REALITY LAB. ISSEY MIYAKE, ISSEY MIYAKE KYOTO, HOMME PLISSÉ ISSEY MIYAKE / AOYAMA, PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE / NAGOYA PARCO, BAO BAO ISSEY MIYAKE / SAPPORO PARCO, ISSEY MIYAKE ONLINE STORE

【TiCTAC】
SHOPLIST
https://www.tictac-web.com/shoplist/
ONLINE STORE
https://www.neuve-a.net/TiCTAC/shop/g/g4976660076128/?_fsi=eMtesbSt

We once used our hands to craft tools, measure things, conduct research, and make countless discoveries through various experiences.
However, in modern times, many everyday objects have become digitized, providing information instantly and with perfect accuracy.
In this process, the joy of discovery and the profoundness of accumulating experience have been lost.

A watch: a tool for "measuring" "time."

By remaining faithful to this role, we may once again encounter new discoveries and profound experiences.
In an era where we are engrossed in portable devices, spending time that slips away too quickly,
we propose a watch that allows us to gaze upon the "time" that is steadily etched into existence.

A watch as a tool for measuring time.
I chose the khaki band as a metaphor for adventure and activity.