In touch with time

Long-time admirers of the classic designs of mechanical watches and fans of the Japanese minimalist look, Tanachpak Warnnissorn and Alisa Kittipong are now offering like-minded folk the chance to own an old-fashioned wristwatch without paying the earth. 

The pair, who launched their online shopping venture, Simpl, last year, tested the market by showcasing their timepieces at the Bangkok International Gift and Houseware fairs and were both surprised and delighted when these were snapped up by retailers in Singapore, Indonesia, the US and UK.

They impressed the fairs’ organisers too and earlier this year were invited to show their creations at the DEmark Exhibition and Designer Room of Bangkok International Fashion and Leather Fairs. 

Tanachpak, who graduated in product design from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, is responsible for designing all the watches. Alisa, who studied at Silpakorn University’s Arts faculty, contributes the marketing skills she acquired while working with an advertising and public relations agency.

“We both enjoy dressing in minimalist fashion and are passionate about analog watches. They have such a classic look but the majority of them on the market are made by high-end brands. While they are beautiful, they are also beyond the budgets of ordinary folk,” Alisa says.

“Initially, we wanted to offer quality handmade watches with genuine 

 leather straps from a local supplier. The volume of orders has increased so much that we’ve been forced to modify our concept and now offer designs that are more luxurious but still affordable,” Tanachpak adds.

The watches, which are extremely well made and guaranteed to last, use the Miyota automatic watch movement from Japan that is water resistant up to 30 metres.

 All straps are made with imported Italian leather and come in two colour choices: black or dark brown. The dials are black and white and covered with a clear glass multi-coated lens, while all cases are made of stainless steel and coated in silver, rose-gold and black. 

“It’s interesting how much we can play with black and white. By pairing a white or black dial with the leather straps, we already have eight styles of watches. We also offer a Crazy Horse leather strap from Italy that allows you to create your own design while the strap with a glossy coat is best for a more elegant and formal look,” Alisa says. 

Simpl’s best-seller are the Gravity Black timepiece with its balck glass dial, black stainless steel case and black strap, the Monochrome Black, which boasts a white dial on a black stainless steel case and the Regal Dark Brown, which features a white dial and rose-gold stainless steel case. The watches cost from Bt2,490 to Bt3,490 while the leather straps go for Bt1,200.

“All the watches have a one-year warranty. We plan to release a new collection at the end of year,” Alisa says.

Check out Simpl’s collection at Facebook/SimplStyle and www.SimplStyle.com.