If you're asking yourself, what was that cool-ass watch Lieutenant Ripley wore in the 1986 movie Aliens, I have the answer for you. It was a Giugiaro designed Seiko Speedmaster Chronograph. Entirely unique by its vertical stopwatch pushers placed inside the asymmetrical case extension. Many of Giugiaro's other designs for Seiko between 1983-86 had asymmetric qualities and are shown below.
And for those of you who don't know Giorgio Giugiaro, he was one of the most important car designers of the 20th century. Credited with the "folded paper" car designs of the 1970s and 80s, he was responsible for such classics as the Lotus Esprit, De Lorean DMC 12, Maserati Merak, Bora, Quattroporte, BMW M1, and most interesting to learn, my first car, the Volkswagen Scirocco. See the rest of his resume here-->LinkPersonally, I think he may have been influenced by the design of this watch that came out 12 years earlier-->Link
An appropriate future-from-the-eighties choice by James Cameron
It took me a while to dig these up!
Proof!
What bothers me the most is that I had one of these chronos and sold it prior to learning of its claim to fame.
Another fantastic Seiko Speedmaster design by Giugiaro.
I must find one!
Check out those four quadrant crown/pushers
Another from the Speedmaster seriesWith the dial off-kilter rotated towards the wearer
An asymmetric Giugiaro Speedmaster Diver
An interesting digital designMore about Giugiaro-->Interview and article from Designboom
Giugiaro Design Website-->Link
ItalDesign Website-->Link
See Also;
John De Lorean's ill-fated wristwatch-->Link
Dashboard Clock History-->Link
Radiator Grille Watches
Audemars Piguet Maserati Millenary MC12
Kienzle Life 2002 Jump Hour
Azimuth Chrono Gauge Mecha
Paul Smith Dashboard Watch
Heuer Silverstone
Heuer Ford Chronosplit
Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Belt Drive Watch
Delorean Time DMC2 Wristwatch
Formex Shock Absorber Watch
Gerald Genta Arena Chrono Quattro Retro
Parmigiani Bugatti Engine Block Watch
Manometro
Dunhill Petrolhead
Richard Arbib
B.R.M. Birotor
Driver Watches
And speaking of Alien, the designer H.R. Giger had his part in a watch design for Swatch in the early nineties, see a sketch of his Crosswatch above. Watch blogger Ariel Adams of Ablogtoread details more from the 1993 exhibition here-->Link| Watchismo Blog | Watchismo Shop | Contact Us | Subscribe |
