RJ-Romain Jerome RJ X Hello Kitty – Kawaii To The Max… And Why Not?

Why so serious? Why watches should always be strict, complex, austere and made to be elegant? Why, for once, couldn’t it be simply fun? That’s what RJ-Romain Jerome has done for quite some years, with its Comic-themed watches. After Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Pokemons and Batman, RJ-Romain Jerome now welcomes Hello Kitty to its Generational Icons collection.

Pop culture icons are cool. Once typical membership badges of the nerd club, they have reached a whole new level of stardom for being… somehow sexy. They are fun and RJ-Romain Jerome has used them to form a collection of shared references and markers.

RJ-Romain Jerome Generational Icons collection is now entering a feminine territory (or more precisely that of the little girl inside you), in unveiling three Hello Kitty limited edition watches. With it, Swiss luxury watchmaking meets Kitty in an ultimate Kawaii collaboration. Kawaii (cute/adorable) is a prominent aspect of Japanese pop culture, personal appearance and behaviour.

Hello Kitty and luxury may not seem a natural fit at first and for some, the association might be somewhat over the top. Some people might even find that this is going way too far – and in a way, they might be right! Nonetheless, the latest RJ-Romain Jerome timepiece, inspired by the cute, huggable character will most likely find fans beyond the die-hard Hello Kitty aficionadas or Japanese lolitas. It is surely not for everyone, but it is different, fun and fresh.

A basic character with two eyes, six whiskers, a nose, and a bow, all on a simple round face, Hello Kitty has been around since 1974. Now, some 40 years later, Kitty has been everywhere – often too much – her huge global success generating billions in sales of licensed products, and huge profits for it creators Sanrio.

Despite the simplicity of the character and theme, the watch still feels sophisticated with a complex case and elaborate dial, which are signatures of RJ-Romain Jerome. The steel case is 40 mm in diameter, and to ensure that the watch hugs the wrist comfortably, it features signature articulated lugs fitted with safety screws and ball-and-socket joints. The case back is emblazoned with a medallion representing Hello Kitty. The rubber coated crown is screw-down while the watch is rated water resistant to 30m. The dial is crafted to create a sense of depth. It features a sandblasted / satin-brushed pixel background and a central hand-lacquered Hello Kitty applique.

The limited edition watch is powered by the self-winding RJ003-A calibre, based on the trustworthy Valjoux 7750. The movement is produced with La-Joux-Perret and shows hours and minutes only with rhodium coated openwork hands with luminescent tip.

The RJ X HELLO KITTY watch is worn on a soft white rubber strap with pin buckle, as well as a complimentary pink rubber strap. It is released in in three limited editions of 76 watches:

• Steel
• Steel with a diamond-set bezel set (70 diamonds; 0.71cts) for the ‘sparkle’ edition
• Steel with diamond set bezel and Hello Kitty applique for the ‘full sparkle’ edition that was not available when we shot the watch.

As advised by RJ Romain Jerome, 1976 is the year when Hello Kitty started to gain international fame. For more information, please visit www.romainjerome.ch.

Technical specifications – RJ-Romain Jerome RJ X HELLO KITTY

• Case: 40 mm, steel – Sapphire crystal – water resistant to 30m
• Movement: self-winding calibre RJ003, – 28,800 vibrations per hour – power reserve 42 hours – 30 jewels – hours and minutes.
• Strap: White rubber strap with pin buckle (additional pink rubber strap)
• Limited editions of 76 pieces
• Price: CHF 8,888 – EUR 9,950 for the steel version, CHF 12,222 – EUR 13,500 for the sparkle edition and CHF 15,555 – EUR 17,500 for the full sparkle edition