News And Trends
Are we the masters of our own time, or the slave of it? Rado poses the question with its radical True Thinline Stillness. How radical? It’s a watch purposefully designed to not display the time accurately, turning the whole concept of timekeeping on its head. “It’s a strange watch,” admits world-renowned trend researcher, Li Edelkoort, Rado’s chosen collaborator for this unique project. “This watch is made so you don’t see the time (that) well.”
A poetic timepiece in both design and philosophy, the Rado True Thinline Stillness takes its cue from the brand’s already iconic ultra-flat True Thinline series. Crafted from Rado’s scratch-resistant high-tech ceramic and monobloc construction, the True Thinline Stillness is the embodiment of “less is more”. The white ceramic case measures 39 mm in diameter and just 5 mm in thinness, with a white dial holding white hour and minute hands, encased within a white frosted-effect sapphire crystal to offer an almost blurry view of the face. The takeaway? Telling the time becomes a deliberately contemplative moment.
“Knowing that time is in our hands while also forgetting it at the same time,” is how Li Edelkoort describes it. “Freeing ourselves from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives by extending awareness for a second, realising the majesty of a minute and grasping the empathy of an hour,” she waxes lyrically. So instead of fretting with every minute, time is simply expressed as an approximate: “About 5 o’clock”… “Almost noon”… “It’s 7.30… ish.”
A first for Rado, the Rado True Thinline Stillness also comes in new sustainable packaging. With reusability in mind, its centrepiece is a small high-quality box made from recycled plastic that can double as a travel case, accompanied by a card holder made from black cardboard. Even instructions for use are omitted in favour of a QR code.
In spite of its ambition, the Rado True Thinline Stillness is still a functional watch that measures the time accurately, at least if you look hard enough. Which isn’t really the point because if anything, the Rado True Thinline Stillness wants us to take things easy, to savour each small moment. “It’s functional and emotional and philosophical,” the futurist concludes. “It is inviting us to live our life in stillness.”
To learn more, drop by the Rado boutique at 2.60.00 Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, or visit www.rado.com/en_my