Studio Ghibli’s 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' becomes wristwatch of Seiko

Next month marks the 40th anniversary of the release of "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," the first fully original anime movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki and the de-facto start of Studio Ghibli. With that four-decade milestone coming up, Japanese watchmaker Seiko is offering a way for fans to keep track of time on a more granular scale, with a beautifully crafted "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" wristwatch.

The design abounds with subtle references to the anime’s artwork, with the most visible being a recreation of Nausicaa’s crest on the watch face above the six o’clock position, set against a blue evocative of the heroine’s garb.

The designers have applied a weathered effect to the casing, to give the timepiece the feel of being used by Nausicaa on her explorations of the wild environments surrounding her home valley. Meanwhile, the crown (i.e. the dial you turn to wind the watch) has a round piece of blue glass set in its tip to resemble the eyes of the giant insectoid Ohmu in its calm, non-enraged state.

An Ohmu also appears on the strap, in a tapestry-like rendering.

Turn the watch over, and the clear section of case back, inside the golden circle, reveals the inner workings of the piece. Written above that section is a partial quote from the prophecy central to the anime’s story: “Clothed in blue robes, descending onto a golden field,” and at the center is Nausicaa’s head covering, cast off next to a fresh sprout of plant life.

Even the packaging is special, with the watch set in a beautiful box with a recreation of an iconic scene from the film on the inner surface of the lid and a doodle-accompanied message from none other than Hayao Miyazaki himself, “Let’s live without being bound by time,” the same sentiment he expressed with Seiko’s "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" watch.

Officially designated SARX119, the Nausicaa Seiko is a limited-edition model, priced at 220,000 yen with only 1,500 units planned for production, 600 for Japan and 900 for the rest of the world. Preorders are scheduled to begin in March.

Source: PR Times

Images: PR Times, Seiko

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