OH MICKEY, YOU’RE SO FINE.

The new Gerald Genta Arena Retrograde Watch marks the return of a beloved character to timekeeping – Mickey Mouse

FOR MOST OF US in our pre-adolescent years, Mickey Mouse was the quintessential symbol of childhood. The premier Disney character still continues to delight millions as it has done for almost a century. Having grown up with the world’s favourite mouse, the memory of Mickey’s hands sweeping across a watch face is wholly endearing.

Known for its visionary designs, Gerald Genta is revisting one of its watchmaking icons with a new Arena Retrograde Watch featuring a smiling Mickey Mouse on the face. The latest model is a joyful and playful classic that melds nostalgia with the watchmaker’s finesse in watchmaking.

Available in January 2022 with only 150-pieces issued globally, the winsome timepiece sees the famous mouse leaping onto the rhodium-plated sunray dial with its left arm indicating the minutes on a 210-degree retrograde sector. Meanwhile, the jumping hour appears at five o’clock. In addition to its playful appeal, this automatic mono-retrograde movement has a 42-hour power reserve housed in the distinctive historical 41mm diameter Gerald Genta Arena round polished stainless steel case.

While the Mickey Mouse watch caused a stir during its debut showcase at the Montres et Bijoux de Genève exhibition in the 1980s, the series prevailed, becoming an icon and much sought after offering at Gerald Genta.

Some folks may have thought it was kitsch at the time, but that eccentricity, coupled with nostalgic appeal, has created a perfect storm for the revival of a desirable horological creation, whether you are a Gerald Genta devotee, a Mickey Mouse fan, or both.

RESIDENTS AT the Singapore Tyler Print Institute in 2009, acclaimed art and design duo Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra have worked with a wide range of media including painting, sculpture, installations and games. They are now making a foray into timepieces as a creative diversion.

Announced in 2019, Thukral and Tagra’s True Square ‘Over the Abyss’ is the fourth in a series of Rado’s collaborations with artists and designers from the world over. With a captivating dial featuring colour strikes, and encapsulated by a 38mm matte blue high-tech ceramic case of square shape with gently rounded corners, True Square is the world’s first square watch made using high-teck injection moulding. Certainly, it is an homage to Rado’s iconic shape from the ’70s, but updated for the 21st century.

A swirl of colour appears on the dial. A graphic of 37 ‘rays’ ‒ representing the 37 time zones of the world ‒ emanates from the centre, with colour gradation from blue to pink to represent the artists’ muse in social design. The time zones are also represented as 19 minute hands and 18 hour hands. According to Thukral and Tagra, Over the Abyss is “a solitude state of mind. The image of the community at a time when we all are experiencing isolation, and a representation of the reunions with loved ones that we all fervently hope may soon be possible.”

Local time is superimposed on 37 hands. legibility is enhanced on the tips via strong SuperLuminova. That said the artistry is not just on the face, the caseback features a painting by the duo called Dominus Aeries, which explores visions from the future with references from the past.

“OVER THE ABYSS IS A MEDITATIVE PROPOSAL. THE DEEP STATE OF MIND WHERE THOUGHTS FLOAT AND MULTIPLY IN THE DEEPEST OF THE ABYSS. STUCK IN A NOVEL OF SCIENCE FICTION, WE DEAL WITH AN ISOLATED SPACE AND TIME. THE ONLY SILVER LINING OF LIVING IN A MOMENT IS A FRAGILITY TO FORM INTO NEW.” – THUKRAL AND TAGRA