“Oh my God, are you still talking about Star Wars?” Yes, yes I am. Even after the crushing disappointment that was The Force Awakens my love for this particular franchise hasn’t been dampened in the slightest. As a lifelong fan it’s always been hard to express your love of Star Wars through any kind of clothing because you always end up looking like you’re on your way to Comicon. And while cosplay is a kind of fashion in itself, sometimes we long for a more subtle way of expressing our fandom through what we wear. After nearly 40 years and seven films (of varying quality) it appears that have managed to pull this off with a range of watches so thoughtfully designed I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out George Lucas made them with his own hands.
Each watch features subtle detailing, textures and symbols that reference visual elements of Star Wars, everything from costume design to architecture. In some case only a die-hard fan would recognise these as Star Wars merchandise because they’re blissfully free of any overt branding or logos. For the C-3PO watch it’s the gold dial and exposed wires taken from the character’s costume design that give the game away. Watch faces textured to look like the surface of the Death Star, tiny Imperial insignias affixed to watch hands, a dial shaped like the Millennium Falcon’s window – each piece from the range is crammed with the kind of nuanced details that are so often lacking from these kinds of products. It’s almost good enough to make up for the way I felt after watching The Force Awakens. Almost.