ince the brand was created in 2019, art and cinema have always been at the heart of Awake’s approach and are part of a constant desire to push the boundaries of creativity. The brand’s positioning in the fascinating world of Métiers d’Art takes Awake’s vision to a whole new level: that of traditions and craft techniques that elevate the craftsman to the rank of artist, part of a cultural heritage whose beauty and poetry we want to pass on.

Awake’s ambition is to be a bold and contemporary new approach to exceptional craftsmanship, reinterpreting ancestral techniques to draw out their essence in the service of creativity. For the second time and after the ‘Jurassic Watch’, the brand put the expertise of its artisans at the service of the 7th Art, to pay tribute to movies that shaped our childhood, marked our adolescence and nourished our imagination and creativity!

‘The Deadly Watch’ is a collaborative project, peppered with references, bringing together craftsmen and technicians to offer you an artistic and horological interpretation of a film that left its mark on millions of viewers in the 2000s. This highly exclusive edition is inspired by the multiple film genres that Kill Bill explores - kung fu movies, gore, epic films, spaghetti westerns and anime - and appeals to both the watch enthusiast and the film fan in us, allowing us to delve into the past and stir our nostalgia!

Awake’s master lacquerers made countless attempts to mix pigments and reinterpret, within the tiny space of our dials, the graphic and aesthetic codes of Tarantino’s cult film, this edition pays tribute to. An exclusive and, it must be said, a bit crazy edition to celebrate a masterpiece of cinema that tackles themes of revenge and personal justice, betrayal and loyalty, power and female autonomy, ethics and morality.

The name of this limited edition ‘The Deadly Watch’ is a first nod to the team of assassins working for the cruel Bill, who is relentlessly pursued by the heroine Beatrix Kiddo: The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad! A ‘deadly’ name for a truly badass watch that features a dial crafted entirely by hand in our Hanoi workshops, using traditional Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer techniques. Its unique colors, inspired by the aesthetic codes of the film Kill Bill and the world of Q.Tarantino in general are obtained from organic materials and create an intense ensemble with striking reflections and powerful symbolism:

- Yellow: is associated here with happiness, energy and purity of the soul. All these things were torn away from the heroine Beatrix Kiddo, plunging her into a blind quest for vengeance. - Red: is associated with danger, anger, revenge, the heroine’s extreme passions, whether love or hate, and of course blood. Awake’s master lacquerers came to smear the dial by hand with small splashes of blood using red pigmented lacquer.

- Black: on the dial’s outer rim refers to the overall atmosphere of the film, the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air after the initial shootout, the absence of light in Beatrix Kiddo’s heart, and the mystery surrounding her character, also known as ‘Black Mamba’.

- The Awake logo is stamped in black pad printing to contrast with the yellow of the dial, and uses a ‘Western’ font, a recurring feature in Tarantino’s works and inspired by a genre dear to the American director: the ‘spaghetti western’.

- At 6 o’clock: another applique, also in pad printing, refers to the two iconic katanas used by Bill and The Bride and takes us back to the cult scene in the Okinawa forge, where Hattori Hanzo agrees to come out of retirement to forge a blade ‘destined to kill Bill’, embodying the purity of traditional craftsmanship and the relentless determination of its user.

‘The Deadly Watch’ is equipped with La Joux-Perret G101 automatic calibre, a guarantee of excellence and performance offering 68 hours of power reserve, distinguished by its tungsten rotor featuring elegant contrasts between recessed and raised surfaces, and refined finishing techniques. The whole is encircled by a ring with polished and micro-bead-blasted finishes and engraved with multiple details that will delight both watch enthusiasts and film lovers:

- The name of this edition ‘The Deadly Watch’ as well as the brand’s motto ‘Artisanship, Awakened’ are engraved at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively, in a ‘Western Spaghetti’ font, inspired by a genre dear to Q. Tarantino and omnipresent in his cinematography, echoing the logo on the dial.

- The quotation “I’m gonna kill Bill” borrowed from the strong and independent heroine Beatrix Kiddo, who is betrayed and left for dead, then embarks on a quest for vengeance to regain control of her life, is subtly engraved at 9 o’clock.

- The numbering of this edition: for even more fun, we have chosen to number 88 copies and precede the number with the word ‘Crazy’! A playful nod to the ‘Crazy 88’ wearing black masks and black suits typical of the Yakuza.

- Finally, Awake also engraved four M16 bullets, recalling the film’s opening shootout in a small chapel lost in the middle of the desert. Only ‘The Bride’ survives her injuries and has only one goal: to take revenge !

Handcrafted by master saddlers at Bouveret in Franche-Comté, France, the straps used on ‘The Deadly Watch’ are inspired by the famous yellow and black leather outfit worn by the heroine Beatrix Kiddo, itself inspired by Bruce Lee’s cult films, dear to Q. Tarantino. For the sake of realism, the brand has selected a supple, durable, fine-grained matte black Barenia calfskin leather and paired it with a yellow calfskin lining – yellow topstitching on the top and red on the bottom. Each strap requires 60 steps to ensure comfort and durability. Equipped with ‘presto’ pumps and mounted on our hollow pin buckle made from recycled 316L steel. Dimensions: 115x70 or 115x80 / 20x16mm.

In Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino pays tribute to Japanese sword cinema by featuring a katana forged by the legendary Hattori Hanzo. This sword, wielded by the heroine, becomes the symbol of her quest for vengeance. To prolong the pleasure of this limited edition and play the nostalgia card to the full, two of the 88 owners of a copy of ‘The Deadly Watch’ will be randomly selected and will win an exact replica of the legendary Japanese sword from ‘The Bride’: Maru 1045 sharpened & engraved steel blade - Sharkskin & black synthetic leather handle - Laser-cut, blackened metal guard - Lacquered and gilded wooden scabbard.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Product reference: Sơn Mài - ‘The Deadly Watch’ - Limited edition of 88.

• Case: Recycled 316L steel.

• Diameter: 39mm.

• Dimensions ‘Lug to lug’: 45.6mm.

• Lug width: 20mm.

• Thickness: 11.80mm including glass / 10.90mm excluding glass.

• Water resistance: 5 ATM (50m).

• Métier d’Art dials: using traditional Vietnamese Sơn Mài lacquer techniques and inspired by the graphic codes of the film KILL BILL, the dials offer unique brilliance and colors thanks to multiple layers of lacquer and natural pigments.

• Indexes and hands: exclusive Awake construction with Super-LumiNova® BGW9.

• Glass: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal.

• Case back: Screw-down case back, sapphire crystal.

• Movement: La Joux-Perret G101 automatic. Power reserve: 68 hours.

• Decorations: Personalized tungsten rotor with alternating brushed, micro-blasted and polished finishes, and embossed lettering. Laser-engraved bezel ring featuring the name of this edition, motifs and a quote from the film, as well as the limited edition number.

• Straps: Handcrafted in matte black Barenia calfskin lined with yellow calfskin - yellow and red topstitching - 115x70mm or 115x80mm / 20x16mm - 316L recycled steel pin buckle.

• Warranty: 3-year international warranty.

• Selling price: €1,650 excluding tax.