You might have seen this watch on various 'creative' sites and blog in the past week. A new watch by HYPHEN, The Indian Stretchable Time' / 'ish' watch, allows for some leeway when it comes to time. In lieu of your typical quarter hour markings, the "ish" watch has 12ish, 3ish, 6ish and 9ish printed askew on the white face.
Despite getting lots of recent press on sites such as Designboom, Comm Arts and other creative design blogs and e-mags, no one seems to have pointed out that the watch details seem to be inconsistent in terms of the hands, the second hand, the bezels and the straps shown in the images that have been posted.
The Actual "Ish" Watches Styles:
So, I wrote to Filter, the company for whom the watch was made, in hopes of getting both clarification on the design and price and I have. The watch is available in the following three designs.
BLACK/RED:
BLACK/WHITE:
BROWN/WHITE:
Note the following, despite the numerous photos in this post:
• All three straps have stitching in either red or white
• All three watches have different bezels.
• The Black/Red version has a red secondhand and red stitching on the band.
• The Black/ White Version has different hands on the face than the other two.
• The hands on the Black/Red and Brown/White version are pointed at the ends (not flat as in several of the photos) and despite the photos they sent me, I am not certain if they are black or chromed.
I do not know a thing about the crystal on the face, nor do I know if the bezels are stainless steel or chromed metal (given the price, I am guessing they are chromed metal). Other than the product shots and price, I received no more detail.
Each "Ish" watch costs $50 USD (excluding shipping charges).
Regardless of the face and bezel details, the beautiful packaging expresses the attitude and philosophy behind the wristwatch in text:
The designer, Prasanna Sankhe, describes the "Ish" watch in the following words:
In India, 'fashionably late' is safely replaced with 'predictably late'. Cow blockades, politician escorts, and cratered roads, compound the problem and offer a valid excuse. So when you reach half-an-hour after the appointed time, you don't explain yourself. You wait for the other person to arrive. We used this life insight, and added some dark humour to it.
We simply added a suffix to time periods. And moved the numerals from their classic perpendicular positions, tilting them to an approximate point on the dial. Hence six was not six. Eight was not eight. It was 'six-ish' and 'eight-ish'. Thus was born the 'ish Watch'.
The audience instantly connected with the watch, as it reminded them of the times they had been either the victim or culprit of tardiness. However, as a 'non-punctual' attitude is almost part of the Indian ethos, they bought into the idea and the watch, without delay.
Available at Filter, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai.
Contact them here to purchase the watch
Creative Director: Prasanna Sankhe
Designer: Prasanna Sankhe
Writer: Cyrus Daruwala
Photographer: Ashish Vaidya
Music: Ferzad Variyava
Producer: Fabian Fernandes
Editor: Basu
Fabricator: Suresh
Agency coordinator: Jennifer Fernandes
About HYPHEN:
Started in 2011, by Alok Nanda, founder of Alok Nanda & company, and Prasanna Sankhe, ex National Creative Director of Publicis Ambience India, HYPHEN is the first brand engagement product agency in India.