Mazda Designer Creates Luxury Watch

Want a spiffy watch to go with your spiffy Mazda3 and its equally spiffy Mazda auto parts?

Mazda is working with the German premium watch manufacturer Sinn Spezialuhren Frankfurt to bring to the market an exclusive chronograph inspired by the Japanese firm’s design style.

The idea of creating a luxury watch intended to express the 'sensuous appeal' of Mazda design came at a Mazda drive event at Germany’s Hockenheimring race track. Hasip Girgin, Assistant Chief Designer at Mazda's European Research and Development Center, Arno Gabel, Vice President of Operations, Sinn Spezialuhren Frankfurt, and Herbert Kunde, Manager Retail Marketing at Mazda Motors Deutschland, began creating the masterpiece immediately and fifteen months later, voila-- the concept is now reality.

To achieve this goal, he adopted a ”long hole” or rounded square form as the principle theme in reference to the design motif in the air intakes, tail lights and door handles of the Mazda MX-5.

The watch's strap with its unique butterfly buckle also further gives reference to the Mazda design. The strap is made of silicon rubber and has the same tire profile as the Mazda Hakaze concept.

In the last 12 years Hasip Girgin has played a pivotal role in the design of a number of production and concept cars in Mazda. He is best known, however, for his design proposals for the original Mazda3.

In addition to his work at Mazda, Girgin is an accomplished painter, who has exhibited in Germany, and lectures in design at Pforzheim University.

Mazda and Sinn Spezialuhren Frankfurt had cooperated twice before to create limited edition watches – the MX-5 NC model and the Sinn 303 RX-8. Compared to the first projects which were customized versions of original Sinn models, the new chronograph however, has been completely designed by and for Mazda.

To be manufactured in a strictly limited edition, the Mazda Design Chronograph will be available at European Mazda dealers beginning in Mid-August. The retail price in Germany will be EUR 1.490,-.

Mazda Design Chronograph

Technical data

Movement:

• Valjoux 7750, chronograph of chronometer quality (top)


• Mechanical lever escapement with self-winding mechanical movement


• Precision regulator


• 25 ruby jewels


• 28800 semi-oscillations/hour


• Incabloc shock protection system


• Antimagnetic to DIN 8309


• Shock protection system to DIN 8308


• Quick change of date


• Power reserve > 46 hours


• Chronograph (stopwatch function/measurement capacity: 12 hours)

• Luminous hour and minute hands


• Luminous indices at 3 and 9 o’clock on the dial


• Date display in a window


• Centrally positioned second stop hands displaying seconds, minutes and 12-hours.

• Satinised stainless steel DIN material grade 1.4435


• Screw-on casing back engraved with limited edition number


• Screwable crown


• Sapphire crystal glass with dual-sided anti-reflection coating


• Water-resistant to DIN 8310


• Pressure-resistant up to 10 bar = diving depth of approx. 100 m


• Lug width: 22 mm

• Silicon rubber strap with Mazda Hakaze concept car tyre profile


• High-quality butterfly clasp with elaborate engraving