RJ Watches – previously RJ Romain Jérôme – has never been classical, conventional or traditional. Whether the watches or the communication strategy, things have always been “out of the box”. For over a year, the brand has a new CEO as well as a new name and, as expected, new watches. Today, we talk with Marco […]
It’s official. Romain Jerome has been rebranded as RJ and made its debut at Baselworld 2018 with the new Arraw collection, its first line of men’s and women’s watches that will set the tone of things to come. A derivation of the Titanic DNA and Moon Dust models, the Arraw line is poised to become the building block for future developments and was assembled by the new RJ team in a record time of just two months. Having looked at the 45mm Arraw chronograph closely and strapped it on the wrist, the overall impression at MONOCHROME was that the watch is a less rambunctious, more contained and wearable offshoot of its predecessors.
The least we can say about RJ Romain Jérôme watches is that its creations are far from being mild or average… They are bold, creative, rely on pop culture and play with gimmick features. Some will hate, some will love. But no one will remain neutral. Part of its “Generational Icon” collection, which already comprises Batman, Pokemon, Pac-Man or Hello Kitty watches, there’s a new pop icon arriving in town. And here, no Peter Parker but a proudly displayed Spider-Man.
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.
You cannot accuse RJ-Romain Jerome of being boring, even though you might not be a fan of the brand like I am. Fact of the matter is, the Geneva based brand does unorthodox things but every now and then hits a sweet spot that should entice even the doubters! The need for a Pièce Unique Pokemon watch is debatable of course, but any doubt can be swayed with the simple question of: why not? Well, that is the question we will hope to have answered by extensively reviewing the RJ-Romain Jerome Skylab 44 Red. We already covered it as it was first released back in december 2013 but we now give you the full rundown.
Geek tested, nerd approved: Meet the RJ-Romain Jerome RJ X Donkey Kong. Seeking out a healthy dose of nostalgia, we took the opportunity during our visit to the brand’s Boutique in old town Geneva to go hands-on with this cool, bold, arcade-inspired timepiece, and here is our report on this unusual and captivating watch.
RJ Romain Jérôme unveils the Deep Blue Octopus, a marine timepiece inspired by the mysterious cephalopod. We take a look at this new offbeat creation from the Geneva-based manufacturer.
RJ Romain Jérôme unveils two limited editions boasting hand-engraved cases – an invitation to travel across the brand’s universe whilst exploring artistic territories. Here are the RJ Romain Jérôme Steampunk Black Auto Engraved & Skylab 48 Red Engraved. RJ Romain Jérôme introduces two limited editions (both limited to 9 pieces) transporting you to a blend of …
“A Carcass” (a must-read; here) is without doubt Charles Baudelaire’s most infamous poem, exploring the idea that beauty can be found in even the most morbid scenes. Like Baudelaire’s “Flowers of Evil“, skull watches attempt to extract beauty from horror. These magnificent mechanical works of art emblazoned with the face of death are at once both shocking and engaging. They also serve an important purpose, an allusion to which we can find in one of the last stanzas of the poem
The retrograde indication is one of my favorite “Because We Can” (BWC) complications. Gears are an amazing invention and have allowed watchmakers to make incredible creations. Simple gear systems leave a multitude of openings for creativity. Look at some great examples of it here!