When the metaverse-based community sells out its $2.7 million collection of Swiss luxury watches in minutes, it tells a story more than just a quirky collaboration.
The release of 100 limited edition titles over the summer, born from a partnership between anime-inspired web-native brand Azuki, independent watch maker H Moser & CIE, and the 1916 company of US retailers, is a rare example of a bold digital-first tactic that transcends the world of physical goods.
The partnership also reflects the way some traditional watchmakers continue to experiment with blockchain-enabled ownership years after the inappropriate token (NFT) epidemic has passed.
The elements of the Time Collection consist of $25,000 Pioneer Center Seconds and $75,000 Pioneer Tourbillon models, and come with NFTs and technology that help protect the ownership of each physical watch and its digital twins. This feature is increasingly appreciated in collectors and in the growing secondary watch market where sources are important.
Lightning Center Second
Fire Pioneer Tourbillon
Founded in 2021 by Alex XU, Azuki started as a Los Angeles-based NFT collection when the global market grew rapidly to an estimated $41 billion. “We wanted Crypto technology to be a better experience for consumers, so we transformed into a collectible anime themed entertainment brand with 20,000 communities with core storylines and characters,” says Xu, who previously worked for Amazon and Google. “We will release the collectibles that our community uses to represent fandom, whether digital or physical.”
Virtual Azuki Garden members will receive NFT Beanz avatars, streetwear and other collector items along with actual events. “I’m really interested in the intersection of luxury and anime,” says Xu, who wants to learn more about the interests of Highspenders in the virtual community.
According to Xu, $1.3 billion worth of Azuki NFTs are currently trading in the secondary market.
The collaboration between Watchmaker and anime and manga characters is nothing new. Over the past five years, Zenith has brought Lupin to the third model, Gucci has sold Doraemon-themed dive watches, Seiko has sold Pokemon to the dial, and Oris has released all the characters in the Japanese comic genre of cult, the Monkey King Edition.
For Azuki, the goal was primarily to provide attractive products to its community and raise its profile in the world of watches.
For Moser co-owner Bertrand Meylan, the goal was to take a step further into the online world, following the Genesis series, which offers blockchain tracking for each watch.
“Azuki was ready to try out a new kind of collaboration. We were constantly striving to explore the incredible universes created around the Azuki brand and new territory, so we were trying to understand how they worked,” says Meylan.
Despite partners from completely different backgrounds, the success of the collaboration relies on what they have in common, especially the Azuki Watch Collectors Club. “There are many similarities between the NFT community and watch collectors,” says Xu. “The audience feels that there’s far more connection than people realize.”
The strong and enthusiastic community was a key asset that Meylan wanted in collaboration, in which case both the Moser and Azuki communities were actively responding. “We love knowing that our community is trying new things,” Meylan says.
“Moser is known for doing unique things that other brands don’t think about or think about. We’re in the industry 300 years ago, but that doesn’t mean we can’t explore new territory.”
Whims are a hallmark of both brands, and Meylan says his company has a Maverick winning streak. Previous Moser Watches include a Swiss cheese case, an Apple Watch spoofing, and a Swiss Mud Watch collaboration with independent British brand studios Underd0G and Watch Design Studio Massina Lab.
Azuki’s playfulness sells not only for comics metaverse, but also for hundreds of thousands of dollars on April Fools’ Plancks and gold-plated skateboards.
Moser has maintained the same level of design, quality and finish on all watches, regardless of who he has worked with in the past. The watch elements feature traditional autohorology, but are water resistant to up to 120 meters, with an edgy diver bezel, titanium case and bracelet, a three-day power reserve, and of course, an index in the shape of azuki beans on a custom dial and 12 O’Clock.
The Sparks of the Collaboration were at the time leading the company’s Chinese division in 1916 and were avid Azuki fans. The 1916 company was a global specialist watch retailer and one of the first companies to develop an e-commerce business.
“Personal connections with collectors have always been at the heart of our work, and have built natural relationships with the watch and collector communities around the world,” says David Kaplan, the company’s chief operating officer.
“This is certainly one of the more unique stories you see, so I think we can expect to see more collaborations like this.”
Will Moser make a second series of Azuki watches? Meylan thinks it isn’t. “To protect the value of your watch, it’s important to stop these types of projects at the right time.”
