Awake Unleashes The Deadly Watch

Following the success of the ‘JURASSIC WATCH ’ editions, AWAKE unveils ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’, the second opus of the ‘A Tribute To The Seventh Art  project, which consists of a long-term artistic tribute, through the Métiers d’Art, to the cult films that marked our youth and will always resonate in our adolescent hearts.

‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ is limited to 88 pieces and draws inspiration from the graphic and aesthetic codes of one of Quentin Tarantino’s most iconic films, released in 2003: KILL BILL Vol. 1. 

Key points of ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’

– Opus N°2 of the ‘Tribute to 7th Art’ project: ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ pays tribute, through Métiers d’Art, to Quentin Tarantino’s graphic and aesthetic masterpiece, released in 2003: KILL BILL. A limited edition full of details, perfectly in tune with Awake’s creative and unbridled spirit, revisiting this masterpiece of the Seventh Art – €1,650 excluding tax.

– Only 88 ‘crazy’ pieces: which will soon adorn the wrists of watch and film enthusiasts around the world, for whom wearing a watch is a true statement of style and personality. 88 pieces as a nod to the hysterical Yakuza of ‘Crazy 88’ and one of the most iconic fight scenes in modern cinema. 

– Unique handcrafted dials: taking inspiration from the graphic and aesthetic codes of the cult film, master lacquer artists have created new colors exclusive to this special edition. Using the ancestral techniques of Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer, the dials offer unique brilliance and hues thanks to multiple layers of lacquer and natural pigments. This work combines precision and creativity, is entirely handmade, and requires around ten hours per dial. 

– A compendium of details for enthusiasts: from the name of this edition itself, to the colors of the dial, leathers for the strap, Katanas applied at 6 o’clock and engravings on the case back: everything in this ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ edition has been designed and crafted to satisfy the thirst for detail of both watch and film enthusiasts.

– AWAKE luminous signature: Based on a complex and exclusive construction of hour markers and hands coated with Super-LumiNova® BGW9, this limited edition offers a subtle play of light and dark that magnifies the brilliance and reflections of the lacquer, transforming the space between the sapphire crystal and the dial into a veritable chamber of light reflection.

– Handcrafted bracelets: inspired by the famous leather outfit worn by Beatrix Kiddo, the heroine played by actress Uma Thurman. 

– Reliability and Accuracy: ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ is equipped with our automatic La Joux-Perret G101 calibre offering 68 hours of power reserve and standing out thanks to its tungsten rotor, custom-designed for AWAKE. The whole is elegantly encircled by a polished and micro blasted ring, engraved with multiple symbols and nods to Quentin Tarantino’s cult film. 

THE GOLDEN TICKET

2 of the 88 future owners of a ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ will be drawn at random and win an exact replica of the legendary Japanese sword from ‘The Bride’. Forged, in the film, by Master Hattori Hanzo in his Okinawa forge, this katana embodies the purity of traditional craftsmanship and the relentless determination of its user !

Starting point:

Since the brand was created in 2019, art and cinema have always been at the heart of our approach and are part of a constant desire to push the boundaries of creativity. The brand’s positioning in the fascinating world of Métiers d’Art takes AWAKE’s vision to a whole new level: that of traditions and craft techniques that elevate the craftsman to the rank of artist, part of a cultural heritage whose beauty and poetry we want to pass on.

AWAKE’s ambition is to be a bold and contemporary new approach to exceptional craftsmanship, reinterpreting ancestral techniques to draw out their essence in the service of creativity. For the second time and after the ‘JURASSIC WATCH ’, we put the expertise of our artisans at the service of the 7th Art, to pay tribute to movies that shaped our childhood, marked our adolescence and nourished our imagination and creativity! 

Reminiscence, you’ve got us.. again !

‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ is a collaborative project, peppered with references, bringing together craftsmen and technicians to offer you an artistic and horological interpretation of a film that left its mark on millions of viewers in the 2000s. This highly exclusive edition is inspired by the multiple film genres that KILL BILL explores – kung fu movies, gore, epic films, spaghetti westerns and anime – and appeals to both the watch enthusiast and the film fan in us, allowing us to delve into the past and stir our nostalgia! 

Our master lacquerers made countless attempts to mix pigments and reinterpret, within the tiny space of our dials, the graphic and aesthetic codes of Q.Tarantino’s cult film, this edition pays tribute to. An exclusive and, it must be said, a bit crazy edition to celebrate in our own way a masterpiece of cinema that tackles themes of revenge and personal justice, betrayal and loyalty, power and female autonomy, ethics and morality.

‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ in detail:

The name of this limited edition ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ is a first nod to the team of assassins working for the cruel Bill, who is relentlessly pursued by the heroine Beatrix Kiddo: The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad ! A ‘deadly’ name for a truly badass watch that features a dial crafted entirely by hand in our Hanoi workshops, using traditional Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer techniques. Its unique colors, inspired by the aesthetic codes of the film KILL BILL and the world of Q.Tarantino in general are obtained from organic materials and create an intense ensemble with striking reflections and powerful symbolism: 

– Yellow: is associated here with happiness, energy and purity of the soul. All these things were torn away from the heroine Beatrix Kiddo, plunging her into a blind quest for vengeance.

– Red: is associated with danger, anger, revenge, the heroine’s extreme passions, whether love or hate, and of course blood. Our master lacquerers came to smear the dial by hand with small splashes of blood using red pigmented lacquer.

– Black: on the dial’s outer rim refers to the overall atmosphere of the film, the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air after the initial shootout, the absence of light in Beatrix Kiddo’s heart, and the mystery surrounding her character, also known as ‘Black Mamba’. 

– The AWAKE logo is stamped in black pad printing to contrast with the yellow of the dial, and uses a ‘Western’ font, a recurring feature in Tarantino’s works and inspired by a genre dear to the American director: the ‘spaghetti western’. 

– at 6 o’clock: another applique, also in pad printing, refers to the two iconic katanas used by Bill and « The Bride » and takes us back to the cult scene in the Okinawa forge, where Hattori Hanzo agrees to come out of retirement to forge a blade ‘destined to kill Bill’, embodying the purity of traditional craftsmanship and the relentless determination of its user.

A case back full of details:

‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ is equipped with our La Joux-Perret G101 automatic calibre, a guarantee of excellence and performance offering 68 hours of power reserve, distinguished by its tungsten rotor featuring elegant contrasts between recessed and raised surfaces, and refined finishing techniques. The whole is encircled by a ring with polished and micro-bead-blasted finishes and engraved with multiple details that will delight both watch enthusiasts and film lovers : 

  – The name of this edition ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ as well as the brand’s motto ‘Artisanship, Awakened’ are engraved at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively, in a ‘Western Spaghetti’ font, inspired by a genre dear to Q. Tarantino and omnipresent in his cinematography, echoing the logo on the dial. 

– The quotation “I’m gonna kill Bill” borrowed from the strong and independent heroine Beatrix Kiddo, who is betrayed and left for dead, then embarks on a quest for vengeance to regain control of her life, is subtly engraved at 9 o’clock. 

– The numbering of this edition: for even more fun, we have chosen to number 88 copies and precede the number with the word ‘Crazy’! A playful nod to the ‘Crazy 88’ wearing black masks and black suits typical of the Yakuza. 

– Finally, we also engraved four M16 bullets, recalling the film’s opening shootout in a small chapel lost in the middle of the desert. Only ‘The Bride’ survives her injuries and has only one goal: to take revenge ! 

Handmade straps inspired by The Bride’s outfit :

Handcrafted by master saddlers at Bouveret in Franche-Comté, France, the straps used on ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ are inspired by the famous yellow and black leather outfit worn by the heroine Beatrix Kiddo, itself inspired by Bruce Lee’s cult films, dear to Q. Tarantino. For the sake of realism, we have selected a supple, durable, fine-grained matte black Barenia calfskin leather and paired it with a yellow calfskin lining – yellow topstitching on the top and red on the bottom. Each strap requires 60 steps to ensure comfort and durability. Equipped with ‘presto’ pumps and mounted on our hollow pin buckle made from recycled 316L steel. Dimensions: 115×70 or 115×80 / 20x16mm. 

GOLDEN TICKET:

In KILL BILL, Quentin Tarantino pays tribute to Japanese sword cinema by featuring a katana forged by the legendary Hattori Hanzo. This sword, wielded by the heroine, becomes the symbol of her quest for vengeance. To prolong the pleasure of this limited edition and play the nostalgia card to the full, two of the 88 owners of a copy of ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ will be randomly selected and will win an exact replica of the legendary Japanese sword from ‘The Bride’: Maru 1045 sharpened & engraved steel blade – Sharkskin & black synthetic leather handle – Laser-cut, blackened metal guard – Lacquered and gilded wooden scabbard. 

Technical specifications:

Product reference: 

Sơn Mài – ‘THE DEADLY WATCH’ – Limited edition of 88. 

Case: Recycled 316L steel.

Diameter: 39mm.

Dimensions ‘Lug to lug’: 45.6mm.

Lug width: 20mm.

Thickness: 11.80mm including glass / 10.90mm excluding glass.

Water resistance: 5 ATM (50m).

Métier d’Art dials: using traditional Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer techniques and inspired by the graphic codes of the film KILL BILL, the dials offer unique brilliance and colors thanks to multiple layers of lacquer and natural pigments.

Indexes and hands: exclusive AWAKE construction with Super-LumiNova® BGW9.

Glass: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal.

Case back: Screw-down case back, sapphire crystal.

Movement: La Joux-Perret G101 automatic. Power reserve: 68 hours. 

Decorations: Personalized tungsten rotor with alternating brushed, micro-blasted and polished finishes, and embossed lettering. Laser-engraved bezel ring featuring the name of this edition, motifs and a quote from the film, as well as the limited edition number.

Straps: Handcrafted in matte black Barenia calfskin lined with yellow calfskin – yellow and red topstitching – 115x70mm or 115x80mm / 20x16mm – 316L recycled steel pin buckle.

Warranty: 3-year international warranty.

Selling price: €1,650 excluding tax.

Availability: https://awakewatches.com

Points of sale: https://awakewatches.com/pages/points-of-sale

Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy: AWAKE x TickTockBelles Celebrate 3 Years of Horological Sisterhood

33 unique pieces only: Each of the dials in this ‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ limited edition of just 33 is unique and subtly different from the one that follows or precedes it. Inspired by the color codes of the TickTockBelles and the sweets of our youth, each dial is a compendium of pleasure and emotion celebrating the 3rd anniversary of this community of women (but not only!) passionate about watchmaking.

10 hours of work by hand: Each dial in the ‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ edition requires 10 hours of meticulous handwork from the Master Laquerers of Hanoi, guardians of the Sơn Mài techniques. Each one specializes in a different, meticulous stage of the process, demonstrating exceptional precision, skill, and a profound respect for the Son Mai tradition, in order to bring to life the wishes and desires of the TickTockBelles and turn each dial into a unique work of art celebrating their third anniversary.

AWAKE x TICKTOCKBELLES co-creation: ‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ is a horological and artistic project, co-created to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of TickTockBelles, under the sign of softness and femininity. Inspired by the sweets of our childhood and the signature colors of their community – united by a shared passion for watches and things that last – ‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ has been imagined with the sole aim of bringing pleasure, joy and sweetness to all TickTockBelles around the world.

Brilliance and Profoundness combined with natural pigments: AWAKE has embraced a technique never before used in watchmaking for the ‘Cotton Candy’ limited edition’s dials: Sơn Mài or Vietnamese sanded lacquer. This ancient art involves meticulously layering and polishing dozens layers of natural lacquer to achieve a lustrous, mirror-like finish, elevating Vietnamese lacquerware to an unparalleled level of prestige. Natural pigments are subsequently airbrushed to enrich the visual dimension of the dial and to produce a range of vibrant shades, inspired by the cyan and pink colors of the TickTockBelles logo. This intricate, time-intensive process requires exceptional skill and unwavering precision, ensuring that every dial in the Sơn Mài collection emerges as a true work of art.

Mastery of Luminescence: ‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ features our innovative luminous “cap signature’’, inspired by the poetic aesthetics of Japanese chiaroscuro. Designed to reveal the beauty of our dials in interplay between light and shadow, this luminous signature blends elegance, legibility, and respect for the material. This exclusive design offers a discreet and refined reading of time, never detracting from the richness and the sweetness of this dial. In the darkness, the glow spreads gently, creating a poetic halo that reveals the deep reflections of the lacquer and the soft hues of the natural pink and cyan pigments specially created for this limited edition ‘Cotton Candy’.

Manufacture La Joux – Perret (La Chaux de Fonds) for Awake: This ‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ edition is equipped with the LJP G101 automatic calibre, developed by the Swiss Manufacture La Joux – Perret. Reliable and high-performance (68-hour power reserve), it features a tungsten rotor designed exclusively for AWAKE, with elegant contrasts between raised and recessed surfaces, and a bead-blasted ring laser-engraved with the name of the limited edition, the Swiss Made designation and the limited series number.

The TickTockBelles

TickTockBelles is a watch community founded in August 2022 by Stephanie Soh and Deborah Wong, with the aim of supporting women’s passion for watch collecting.The platform provides a gender friendly environment where like-minded collectors can come together to discuss their watch interests. Since it was founded, the community has garnered followers from across Asia and other regions worldwide to now federate more than 4,000 people.

“We are very excited to meet and put together more and more female watch collectors and have a horological discourse with them on a daily basis ! The Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy symbolizes the celebration of friendship, just like the bond we encourage amongst our watch community friends.” Stephanie & Deborah

Portrait of Deborah Wong aka @luxecoffer

An unexpected win of a Quartz watch in a quiz competition at teen age had started Deborah’s interests in watches. She has been a novice watch collector over the years but only turned serious less than 10 years ago. Deborah favors two-hands movement timepieces because they are effortless and uncomplicated. Most often when being consulted on timepiece selection, Deborah recommends to consider 3 main philosophies that we wanted to respect throughout the creation of this « Cotton Candy » limited edition – Simplicity , Classic and Versatility –

Co-founding TickTockBelles in 2022 has been an exciting journey for Deborah who often could be seen advocating for gender diversity and building female friendly watch communities amongst the brands.

Portrait of Stephanie Soh aka @bubbasteph

Stephanie aka @bubbasteph loves watches from a young age. Her first watch was a Bradley Mickey Mouse which she still holds dear today ! Stephanie has a diverse watch collection ranging from vintage to modern timepieces. Each timepiece is carefully curated for their movement and craftsmanship. Stephanie shares the same hobby with her husband whom she met at a watch shop over an IWC Pilot Chronograph ! The rest is history…

In recent years, she has noticed growing numbers of women who have become interested in horology; starting with her own fashionista friends seeking opinions about watches rather than fashion. With that in mind, she co-founded @ticktockbelles, a platform to support women’s interest in watch collecting, with Deborah Wong, another female watch enthusiast.

The Vietnamese Art of “Son Mai”: Lustrous Brilliance and Profoundness

AWAKE has embraced a technique never before used in watchmaking for the ‘Cotton Candy’ limited edition’s dials: Sơn Mài, or Vietnamese sanded lacquer. This ancient art involves meticulously layering and polishing coats of natural lacquer to achieve a lustrous, mirror-like finish that elevates Vietnamese lacquerware to an unparalleled level of prestige.

All begins with the careful extraction of sap from the Rhus verniciflua tree, which grows in northern Vietnam and is renowned for producing the finest and most radiant lacquer. Each tree, after a decade of growth, yields a mere 200 ml of sap, harvested only during the early mornings of June and July. Once collected, the sap is processed to remove moisture and impurities, then filtered and dehydrated to create a transparent lacquer.

A Time-Intensive Process

The process begins with a base coat of lacquer, which is dried, sanded, and polished to achieve a flawlessly smooth surface. Natural pigments are then subsequently airbrushed to enrich the visual dimension of the dial and to produce a range of vibrant shades, inspired by the cyan and pink colors of the TickTockBelles logo. Finally, a dozen layers of lacquer are applied to provide protection, brilliance, and durability. This intricate, time-intensive process requires exceptional skill and unwavering precision, ensuring that every dial in the Sơn Mài collection emerges as a true work of art.

Mastery of Luminescence

‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ features our innovative luminous “cap signature’’, inspired by the poetic aesthetics of Japanese chiaroscuro. This refined effect took a full year to perfect. Designed to reveal the beauty of our dials in interplay between light and shadow, this luminous signature blends elegance, legibility, and respect for the material. Rather than overpowering it with light, we chose to elevate it with subtlety—a philosophy reflected in the unique and complex construction of our hands and indexes, shaped through multiple machining stages.

The hands and hour markers are composed of a slim yet robust base of Luminova BGW9, topped with faceted, polished steel inserts, each finished to a fine glaive point. This exclusive design offers a discreet and refined reading of time, never detracting from the richness and the sweetness of this dial. In the darkness, the glow spreads gently, creating a poetic halo that reveals the deep reflections of the lacquer and the soft hues of the natural pink and cyan pigments specially created for this limited edition ‘Cotton Candy’.

Timeless Elegance and Contemporary Flair.

‘Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ limited edition is housed in our 39 mm case, crafted from recycled 316L steel, that perfectly marries modern aesthetics with timeless elegance and comfort. Inspired by the finest elements of classic watch design, the case strikes a refined balance between heritage and contemporary style.

Its sleek silhouette is enhanced by polished bezel and lugs, including a striking chamfer that stretches elegantly from one lug to the other. In contrast, the case sides are brushed horizontally, adding a discreet and modern touch. The crown combines alternating polished, brushed and sandblasted finishes for a sophisticated feel and a better grip, and is crowned with the polished ‘Genesis’ symbol, an emblem of the four elemental forces—air, earth, water, and fire— that reflect our commitment to harmony between innovation, tradition, and environmental consciousness.
Reliability and Mechanical Excellence

The screw-down case back of the ‘Cotton Candy’ limited edition – rendered in subtle grey tones – reveals a generous view of the reliable and precise Swiss Made G101 movement, developed by the prestigious manufacture La Joux-Perret. Renowned for its 68-hour power reserve, the movement is distinguished by a custom-designed tungsten rotor, sculpted with alternating reliefs and hollows to create a captivating play of light and depth, all protected by a sapphire crystal. Our signature water-resistance hallmark (the fish) and recycled 316L steel hallmark (the anvil) are discreetly engraved within the lugs — a playful reminder that one can take watchmaking seriously without taking oneself too seriously. Encircling the movement is a custom sandblasted ring, where the inscriptions specific to this limited edition are subtly laser-engraved.

Exclusive strap for TickTockBelles

To sublimate this limited edition of 33 pieces, we selected a white grained calf leather strap (20/16mm), with a soft, luxurious texture and embellished with light grey topstitching. Comfortable and resistant, this 105x65mm (S size) strap has been designed by Awake and TickTockBelles to complement each dial in this new collection to perfection and adapt elegantly to slimmer wrists. This strap is mounted on a recycled 316L stainless steel pin buckle and equipped with presto spring bars.

The bracelets for this limited edition have been handcrafted in France by master saddlers at the Bouveret factory in Franois, Franche-Comté. Each of the bracelets in this edition has passed through expert hands forged by years of experience, breathing soul into the material. From the rigorous selection of the noblest skins, to cutting, assembling, trimming, threading and sewing, a total of nearly 60 operations are performed by the expert hand of the master saddler, demonstrating perfect mastery.

Technical Specifications

Reference: ’Sơn Mài – Cotton Candy’ – Limited Edition of 33.
Case: Recycled 316L stainless steel
Diameter: 39mm
Lug to Lug: 45,6mm
Lug width: 20mm
Thickness: 11.80mm (including crystal) / 10,90mm (excluding crystal)
Métier d’Art dial: Handcrafted using the ancestral Vietnamese technique of sanded lacquer “Sơn Mài’’, combined with cyan and pink exclusive colors made from natural pigments and inspired by the TickTockBelles color codes and the sweets of our childhood.
Indexes and hands: Super-LumiNova® BGW9, with AWAKE’s luminous « cap » signature
Water resistance: 5 ATM (50m)
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Case back: Screw-down sapphire crystal case back
Movement : Automatic La Joux-Perret G101 – Power reserve : 68 hours
Decorations: Customized tungsten rotor featuring alternating hollows and reliefs, with brushed, bead-blasted, and polished finishes. Sand-blasted matte-finish ring, laser-engraved with the inscription 1 of 33, and other inscriptions specific to this limited edition.
Strap: Hand Made in France, white grained calf leather strap (20–16 mm), grey topstitching, mounted on a recycled 316L stainless steel pin buckle. Equipped with presto spring bars. Dimensions (105x65mm).
Warranty: 3 years international warranty.