MINI_Motion Watch Now Available

Sections: Uncategorized Aug 9th, 2004 30 Comments

mini

After what seemed to be an eternity the MINI_Motion watch is now actually available through the MINI_Motion website. This information comes from Yves Behar himself who was very helpful in helping us get our hands on one. For those that don't know much about Yves he is the creator of the Fuseproject design studio and the primary designer of the MINI_Motion line. He is also one of the most sought after industrial designers in the world.

This watch is something that I've personally being waiting get my hands on for quite sometime. Working in the design field it's pretty easy to get excited about well excuted products. But products that incompass one of my favorite brands and one of my most famous designers don't come along very often.

We should have a review of the watch within a week. In the meantime you can check out more on the watch at OutMotoring.com.

Written By: MF Staff

cct1

That thing looks huge!! Big enough to accessorize–with a cupholder, or perhaps a Whalen shift knob, or heck, by the size of it, an aero kit….
SrBlanco

A cupholder would be SWEEEEET!
RB

Without anything to reference the watch too, how can one tell how big the watch is?

Not my style but a nice design. I do have the MINI speedo watch which gets a lot of “KOOL WATCH” comments from other design types. Can't tell time on it without my glasses but, “It is more important to look marvelous that it is to feel marvelous.”

Side bar…

I was told by someone at WRC that Puma was making some official clothing for WRC. I wonder if Behar is doing that project and where he might be with it. Went there [PUMA] today and found nothing other than non-discript stuff for WRC.

…RB
Chris

The watch is clunky and Ugly. Just like the new monochromatic taillights!
hat

at last! looking forward to your review gabe. wonder if its available outside the us yet?
RB

Clunky & Ugly….Well there you have then, that surely puts that issue too sleep! Damn sounds like one of my intructors at ACDP. York is that you man?

…RB
dgszweda1

I think it looks cool sitting on a desktop, but doesn't look very functional. I don't like just a single large digital readout, I think the band is too thick, and I don't think it looks very comfortable either. I don't like a watch that stays put because it is held tight enough against the wrist, which is what this design appears to do. I like mine to have some movement along the wrist to some degree. I also like to see a date readout, not by pushing a button, but a date always displayed.
Nick Nichols

Gabe, I don't think the watch is working. I checked it out several times and the time has not changed. (-: Nick
PeteD

“The watch is clunky and Ugly. Just like the new monochromatic taillights!”

This guy just can't let the taillights thing go. Maybe he needs to just buy another type of vehicle and trash their product on another website.

The watch is pretty cool looking, although not practical for me to wear.
Chris

Nope, on second thought its very Clunky and Ugly. Wouldn't one rather wear a Breitling or Rolex? Aren't digital watches a thing of the 80's just like monochromatic taillights?

(Wink)
michael Boice

…hmmm…the watch's form and content do not match those of the Mini. This watch was definately designed by folk who designed a different car, or, by folk who did not pen the Mini. doesn't work for me.
David

The watch looks a little too… clean… to me. There is such a minimalist look to it, sterile and without personality. The MINI, on the other hand, is a modern interpretation of a more classical design, with a bit more curvature and a lot more personality. It looks good to me, but only in an “art exhibit” kind of way.
mspetrology

IMHO, I think the watch is in line with the MINI design philosophy–a little curvy, a little not, simple but functional, uber hip. In fact, if you squint you can imagine the face as the top of a MINI with a dual-pane sunroof!
Franz Willhelm Van Goot

Mine is on the way, I have been waiting for it since the motion line came out- ordered from Flight 001, I'm with you Gabe can't wait. The watch is really cool leave it at that. Not flashy, but different.
Bart

That's a very cool watch. 'nuf said.
Jeff Cooperstein

Picked mine up yesterday at the MOMA store. Looks great! fits Great! Being a member of MOMA I saved 20% on the watch.
Philip

I like the design a lot.

Does anyone know how to get this in Europe/Germany? I can't order this from the US site as they're only shipping within the US.
michael Boice

The visual essence of a 'thing' is spontaneous. If we have to try too hard to marry the watch with the car, they send a different visual message…they each posses a different visual essence. The watch cannot be expected to reveal the Mini's essence by looking like its sun roof for example. It must take on a the same visual essence spontaneously – without active thought. As a watch, it is cool, very cool. But it is not Mini cool. It is something else cool. Judging art must be done against the back drop of intended or pre-determined form and content. To design a thing whimsically is very different from designing a thing intentionally. The intentional fore-thought that goes into designing a thing, if done properly, is what makes its relationship to another thing spontaneous.
http://users.adelphia.net/~rocketboy/index.html Rocketboy

I think it's quite nice.. It reminds me a lot of some of the Japanese fashion watches, which you can find at http://www.tokyoflash.com/index.php .

(No, I'm not trying to give them free advertising, I don't even wear a watch, I just like the designs.)
dgszweda1

Michael,

What the heck was your paragraph about?
RB

Boice…

Did you ever teach at Art Center Collegs of Design in Pasadena?

Wow that's
RB

Whoops, hit the wrong button plus can't spell.

Art Center College of Design.

Wow that's a real York Knowlton if I ever heard one…York, York is that you man???

Just remember that a stone found on the Goby desert is merely a fig in your imagination….

…RB
http://www.outmotoring.com Aaron Cornaby

..Art Center College of Design….I went there…graduated in 2000

..good school, great education, great times, lots of student loans!

If you want to see a visual scale for the watch, check out this link:

http://outmotoring.com/minimotionwatchdesignedbyyvesbehar.html
http://www.dolch.net Matt Dolch

I'm a watch/sunglasses whore, so I'll have to buy it :-)
http://www.motoringfile.com/ Gabe

Just got mine… review will be psoted soon. First impressions: incredible!
michael Boice

I was speaking about an individual's instananeous response to a thing, anything visual. Our instantaneous response to anything visual is very pure. Describing this experience with words becomes very difficult, however. Using another medai, music; music leaves us with the most pure instantaneous response. Think about the first time you every listened to a song you fell in love with. Your feelings in that moment are purely instictive and instantaneous. If you keep litening to the same song over and over, however, your response will become caloused. Timeless design will always find a way to tickle on-lookers for eternity. Designs that utilize cues simply to over sensitize om-lookers become fads and very boring very quickly…no depth. Okay, enough vomitous writing. Sorry.
RB

Aaron…

my stint at ACCD was at nite.

My scholarship was with Chouinard Art School back in 196…we'll leave that unsaid, and then on too Cal Arts and then to ACCD at nite for 3 years in the late 90's.

I wish I had gone there myself but I choose the later, but I loved my stint at nite. I go to the art gallery once a month an travel the halls some nites. They built Art Center South on Raymond Avenue down by the old power company bldg.

Blah, blah, blah…

…RB
http://www.dolch.net Matt Dolch

Got mine too last night from Classic Mini!

I would say I certainly like the design, fits my arm well. Feels strange looking at a digital display again! I really like how you can switch the time display a la a “Radius” rotating monitor for you Mac folks :-) Is great when your motoring, or want to time something.

My disappointments- on “Thursday” when you see the day- does it blank out a few pixels (ie. the “T” doesn't have all of it's descending parts) based on the LCD map in the manual- I'd say this is in spec?

The alarm, stop-watch and such features are certainly good- no complaints from me in that department. I do like the build quality too. It is “made in China”, oddly enough- the manual is printed in Switzerland???
Mr. Molinari

I guess if your making a negative comment on this watch you must not own one… so many of my friends and random people have asked to buy this watch from me ….. its one of my favorite watches… it has three different displays to choose from
michelle

Where can I get MiniMotion products? are they sti;ll sold and are any new products on the horizon?

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