Yahoo News Find time for you with Li Edelkoort’s new watch for Rado
Ever felt as though there aren’t enough hours or minutes in the day? As if time is against you? This is the modern affliction that renowned Dutch trend expert Li Endelkoort aims to heal with her new design, the ‘True Thinline Stillness’ created for forward-thinking Swiss watch brand Rado.
Time is the greatest luxury in modern life and also a much sought-after commodity. A consequence of our increasingly busy lives, suggests Li, is a growing need for stillness. ‘People are taking time to question the meaning of life and work, to think about withdrawal and simplicity, about commonality and complexity,’ she explains.
To help us in our quest to rethink our relationship with time, the ‘True Thinline Stillness’ does something quite revolutionary for a timepiece: it slightly disguises the time. A white dial and white hour and minute hands camouflage themselves against the 5mm-thin white high-tech ceramic case.
Glance at your wrist and you will see what Li describes as ‘a vague, veiled idea of the time’. Of course, look closely and the accuracy that Rado is known for is still on show, but this is a new approach to our lives and schedules. Less regimented, more flowing, more flexible. ‘Knowing that time is in our hands while also forgetting it at the same time,’ is how Li describes it, adding that this watch is ‘functional, but it is also emotional and philosophical.’
There is a relevance to the monochrome finish on this design too. Li Edelkoort is an expert in the emotive power of colour – she recently shared her colour predictions for the decade with us, detailing how certain shades can promote wellbeing and happiness in the home. Here, all-over white is not only calming and reflective, but also, replete with symbolism. It is, as Rado CEO Adrian Bosshard notes, ‘white as snow, white as purity, white as a blank sheet inviting a new start.’
Part of that new start is a commitment to sustainability. The ‘True Thinline Stillness’ is presented in Rado’s new packaging which focuses on reusability. Made from recycled plastic, the box acts as a travel case, accompanied by a card holder crafted from black cardboard. An instruction booklet is omitted in favour of a QR code that you scan to receive all of the information.
Engraved on the watch’s titanium back are the words: ‘STILLNESS Lidewij Edelkoort SINCE 2020’. Simple and elegant. ‘Stillness,’ says Li, ‘is a gift.’ One she hopes we can all find a little more of. £1,820, rado.com
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