Jupiter Watch

Press Kit

Unique Properties

This minimal timepiece uses a conventional watch movement to drive a unique planetary watch face. Hours and minutes are shown by little steel spheres that are moving inside circular channels of the hydraulic pressed dial, which is inset into the convex shaped crystal glass. There is no visible stem or watch hand. The glass dome covers the whole front facing area of the watch and creating interesting light reflections.

Dimensions & Packaging

Casing Material: 316L stainless steel, sandblasted
Case Size Thickness: 14.0 mm, Width: 41 mm
Case Back: 316L Stainless steel, matte, screwed on case back
Hands: Stainless steel spheres
Watch dial: Convex shaped by hydraulic press, sandblasted polishing
Crown: at 3 Hour Position
Strap: Width 20 mm, 316L stainless steel Milanese mesh
Movement: Swiss Ronda 502 (Far east manufactured)
Glass: Concave polished hardened mineral crystal
Battery: SR920SW
Water Resistant: 5 ATM

Tags

watch, wrist watch, ziiiro, time, magnets, jupiter, spheres

Production Technology

Compared to traditional watches, the Jupiter watch uses an additional layer of hydraulic pressed brass above the dial to separate its' time indicators from the movement. Little steel spheres are placed into these pressed rails and pulled by magnets underneath this layer. Crystal glass is being sanded into a deep convex shape and placed above the visible part of the dial, so that the steel spheres are being trapped between glass and dial. The magnets themselves are being powered by a conventional Swiss Ronda quartz watch movement.

Design Challenge

This project started with a foil that can visualise magnetic fields. We prototyped a watch using this foil as watch face and moving magnets underneath. The magnets produce a darker trail when they move along. After further experiments using iron powder, the final design of the Jupiter watch combines the visual appearance of magnetic trails with a more straightforward way of incorporating magnets while ensuring good readability and timeless design.

Research

ZIIIRO is all about unique ways of telling the time. We are aware that the purpose of a traditional wrist watch has evolved from time teller into a status symbol or accessory for expressing one's personality and fashion style. In order to figure out the fashion part, we exhibited at the Berlin fashion week 4 times, where we could get feedback from all over the world. After additional market research by making polls and looking at our customer base, we discovered that a large portion of our fans is affiliated to the creative industry. Since being creative is our credo, it shows that we are doing something right.

Inspiration

I had the very first idea of a magnetic watch when I stumbled upon flux detector foil, a thin film than can visually detect magnetic fields. By prototyping these ideas, the concept evolved into the design of the Jupiter watch, which is simpler and more straightforward than earlier takes using iron powder or foil. To give the evolving spheres more significance, the dial is visually elevated into the glass.

Project Duration

The project started in Mid 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany and Hong Kong. It was released for purchase in Sept. 2020. In Japan, it was released through a crowdfunding campaign, which achieved 7000% funding.

Operation Flow

Time can be set by pulling out and turning the crown. The two steel spheres indicate the current time, the inner one shows minutes while the outer one shows hours. To keep the visual appearance minimal, there are no markers. When setting the time, the spheres have to be moved into the correct position in relation to the watch orientation.

Image Credits

Image #1-5: Robert Dabi, 2020