U.S.-based Movado watches recently launched a new limited-edition capsule collection of five wristwatches and two wall clocks with American artist Derrick Adams. I don’t think that, in recent times, Movado has made its watches canvas for art, but the concept is not only very trendy in the wristwatch space but also nicely integrates with one of the brand’s most iconic wristwatch model, the “Movado Museum Dial.” Movado hints it is going to be celebrating “leading American artists of the 21st century,” which is likely a signal that the Derrick Adams x Movado watches are just the start.
The base watches are Movado’s 40mm-wide steel, quartz movement-based Museum Dial watches that are each coated in a different color. Each of the dials features an interpretation of Derrick Adams’ existing compositions, with the strap included as part of the overall design and with further artwork applied to it on most models. Personally, while I like the idea of putting popular art on watch dials very much, I find it more intellectually interesting when artists come up with new work specifically designed for the size and purpose of a wristwatch dial. That’s much harder to do well and also requires audiences to warm up to new works. The value of putting existing popular art on watch dials is, of course, that it is already popular (and thus easier to sell).
The five debut Derrick Adams x Movado limited-edition watches are the “Floater” (boy with goggles and innertube), “Style Variation” (woman with colorful hair), “Arting” (color block face closeup), “Fashion Fair” (colorful abstract motif), and “We Came to Party & Plan” (rear of man’s head wearing party hat). The 40mm-wide cases are suitable for men and women and are relatively thin given the Swiss Made electronic quartz movement. Over the dial is a flat sapphire crystal, and the cases are water-resistant to 30 meters. The watches come with printed leather straps.
The two clocks also feature the Museum Dial style face which has the “sun” 12 o’clock hour indicator and no other markers other than the hour and minute hands. They also feature colored metal housings and the two Derrick x Movado limited-edition clocks are the Floater (same dial as the wristwatch), and a different version of the Style Variation (this time with a woman who has rainbow-colored hair). The clocks are also quartz movement-powered and are 30cm diameter in size.
While the clocks ($400 USD each) are sold separately, mega Derrick Adams fans can purchase the Derrick Adams x Movado watches individually or as part of an even more limited box set with all five wristwatches. The entire limited edition of 25 pieces set of five watches has a retail price of $3,500 USD. Each of the individual limited edition Derrick Adams x Movado watches is produced as a limited edition of 125 pieces and has a retail price of $700 USD. Learn more at the Movado website.
