Support NeoGAF

[Tripon]

With the release of this limited edition Romain Jerome Super Mario Bros. watch everything has finally come full circle for me when it comes to my relationship with luxury "nostalgia" watches. I once smirked sarcastically when people bought watches that reminded them of their favorite 1960s and 1970s era race car driving heroes and I rolled my eyes as brands sought to charge high prices for gimmicky "collectible" watches inspired by historic events. Sure, sometimes those timepieces were very cool items, but would consumers really want to get them mostly for their nostalgic value?

Like all of Romain Jerome's video game-inspired watches (there is also a Tetris watch), the Romain Jerome Super Mario Bros. timepiece comes in a Moon Invader-style case which is 46mm wide in PVD-coated black titanium. The "feet-style" lugs move with the strap to help form a better fit on your wrist.

The dial is produced using an interesting three-layer technique meant to create a "pixel" look which I've always found to be really cool in person. Super Mario, along with a mushroom, cloud, and bush, are all three-dimensional pixel-style figurines on the dial and brightly colored in enamel. Of course, I could wish for things like dial animation or other "movement," but even in static form, the dial looks great. All that you have to distract you from the Super Mario scene are the hour and minute hands.

I don't think Romain Jerome is going to have too much trouble finding 85 people around the world with money to spend and fond memories of playing Super Mario Bros. as a youth in the 1980s. It amazes me how much of what I grew up with from video games to cartoons and toys are still such a big part of culture today in 2015. I suppose that makes me lucky, since I get to feel like a kid much longer. But it will take some adult money to purchase the limited edition of 85 pieces reference RJ.M.AU.IN.011.01 Romain Jerome Super Mario Bros. watch that has a price of $18,950.

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/romain-jerome-super-mario-bros-watch/

 

[FZZ]

Watch is dope

Price is not

 

[xxracerxx]

That fucking price. Watch fanatics are crazy.

 

[kagamin]

One could buy several fantastic PCs (or the parts to make several fantastic PCs) with all that money.

 

[jett]

I see literally nothing about that watch that justifies that idiotic price.

 

[jediyoshi]

SHOCKING SECRET INSIDE: The Watch

 

[Forkball]

Almost $20,000 yet they are too cheap to make the bush different from the cloud.

 

[oti]

I'm fine with an Android Watch Mario background thank you very much.

 

[ChosenPredator]

looks really awesome but yeah the price is out there

 

[BGBW]

Couldn't even get Mario's colours right. Wouldn't pay a penny for it now.

 

[NeoFaff]

I'll download that watchface on my Moto 360 in a few weeks

 

[Zomba13]

I've never understood the price of watches being so high.

I mean, I assume that a good old fashioned Swiss watch has a billion special tiny gears and bits that make it special but like, this one in the OP just doesn't look nice. It's not like a shiny gold Rolex or something that screams "look at me, I have money". It says "look at me I'm a geek and like tacky looking wrist wear!". I guess it might go well with a SMB t-shirt and 1-up mushroom shaped backpack.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

Camt fathom where 18k goes into something like this. Looks kinda cheap.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

The colors on Mario are completely wrong. Only an idiot would buy this.

 

[ash_ag]

People who buy this probably don't realise the shocking secret they'll have to carry on their wrist.

Spoiler

THE BUSH AND THE CLOUD ARE THE SAME SPRITE!! 😱

 

[Infernal Monkey]

"What's the time?"
*Looks at watch*
"Uuuuuhhhh, mushroom... bush?"
"Nice watch dickhead"

 

[Mellahan]

The colors on Mario are completely wrong. Only an idiot would buy this.

Not exactly.

 

[Blood Diamonds]

lmao

 

[N.Domixis]

Camt fathom where 18k goes into something like this. Looks kinda cheap.

They can charge what ever they want and rich people will buy just because they can.

 

[Bass260]

It's funny that they choose the modern Mario colors.

Oh and yeah the price. lol

 

[Ridill]

That watch is pretty sick.

But, wtf at the price.

 

[LurkerPrime]

The cloud and bush are the same. Dat attention to detail.

 

[pizzacat]

Choosing modern colors so the retro colors revision will be like triple the price

 

[Mista Koo]

It's ugly.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Not exactly.

But it should be

 

[MrCunningham]

Choosing modern colors so the retro colors revision will be like triple the price

Heh, true.

They're not even using his original red overalls and blue undershirt design:

Instead they are just retconning classic Mario with the blue overalls and red undershirt design that appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 and onwards.

 

[Trickster]

Looks hella ugly

 

[sixteen-bit]

cloudbush!

 

[tapedeck]

I'm not sure I'd buy that if it was 20 bucks..

 

[NIGHT-]

Yea, I'd pay $100 at most