Tokujin Yoshioka's poetic take on the "O" timepiece refers to eau (French for water) with the design concept fashioning the watch into the shape of water-transparent time.
The 14th series of Issey Miyake Watch Project comes under the title "V", with the award-winning designer again creating the latest model recently unveiled by Thai distributor, Trocadero Group.
The project previously involved other leading designers such as Naoto Fukasawa and Satoshi Wada, the latter creating the W series.
At first glance, one cannot see any "V" in Yoshioka's dainty unisex models measuring only 16.2mm in diameter and 6.33mm in thickness.
The small size makes it even harder to spot the V element. Yoshioka hides that in the metal bracelet where a variety of V-cuts are randomly constructed to reflect light for a mirroring effect. This is created by cutting a tube with a basic pattern into circular slices, with each band radiating brilliance yet with different expressions.
The unique design entices from many different angles and manages to mesmerise by its reflection.
Under the same concept, the packaging is made by cutting an aluminium cylinder with a similar pattern as the watch.
The Japanese designer also created the TO series, bringing out the beauty of stainless steel by making the model seem like a sculpted lump of metal.
The 14th series models are also housed in a stainless steel case but in three different finishes, resulting in V Shining Steel, V Steel Matt and V Black PVD variations, whose slim bracelet watch caters to wrist sizes from 134mm to 200mm.
Besides watches, Yoshioka's clean and minimalist approach is notably seen in interior design, including those of Issey Miyake's stores.
Many of his works are displayed as a part of permanent collections in well-known museums, including New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
