Romain Jerome RJ X Super Mario Bros Limited Edition 

When it comes to adding a touch of drama to your watch collection, few if any do it better than – and certainly none do it the same as  – Romain Jerome. Founded in 2004, the Geneva-based independent watch company has established a reputation for serious horology with a playful, flamboyant high-tech twist. 

Using truly exotic, and even other worldly materials in successive collections of fascinating concept-themed timepieces, Romain Jerome has imposed itself on the world watch scene, capturing hearts and minds by refusing to comply with convention and successfully daring to be different.

From the Generational Icons collection the Romain Jerome X Super Mario Bros is a superbly detailed mechanical love letter to the little pixelated character who became a global cult figure for a generation of kids - of all ages, and whose popularity shows no sign of abating.

Created to celebrate thirty years of the small screen sensation, and in collaboration with his creators Nintendo, Mario himself dominates proceedings along with representations of cloud, bush and retro mushroom graphics in a cool and colourful tribute.

However, behind the cartoon characters and obvious nostalgic novelty allure lies a very serious and beautifully engineered piece of high end watchmaking, and a closer inspection reveals detailing on a minute scale throughout. The four pixelated icons have been hand painted in Nintendo’s 30^th anniversary colours using cold enamel, and are then applied to the highly complex black 3D dial whose surface replicates the pixels in tiny blocks on three levels. The familiar RJ pylon-like black oxidised hands are tipped with Super LumiNova which glows an icy blue in low light.

The 46mm case has been manufactured in titanium with black PVD coating; the bezel further polished to a sheen for contrast, and its protruding lobes form the watch’s distinctive X shape. Here the screws which secure the case elements together are mobile, thanks to an ingenious pivoting ball and socket innovation on the underside, and are coated in Teflon ensuring a supremely comfortable wear.

The caseback piece features a small medallion with the Mario icon on a ‘stellar’ pattern background with coarse grainy base, and inside beats the RJ001 automatic self winding movement. It is presented on a black vulcanised rubber strap with folding clasp in PVD coated stainless steel.

The Romain Jerome Generational Icons series has tapped into a dynamic cult niche of grown-up collectors with emotional associations with its themes, and with a production of just 85 pieces worldwide the Super Mario Bros Limited Edition is the ultimate in exclusive collectables for the Super Mario super fan.