Romain Jerome is no stranger to lifting prolific pop culture icons for its Generational Icons line of wristwatches, which has, for the most part, run the gamut of nostalgic toys from Batman to Super Mario and most recently, Pokémon. Now the watchmaker has introduced a cartoon timepiece specifically for ladies, featuring the phenomenally successful cartoon cat from Japan.

Designed by Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio in 1974, Hello Kitty humbly first made her appearance on vinyl coin purses. Today the mouthless feline generates revenue of some US$7 billion a year, with her likeness on everything, from Airbus A330 airliners to credit cards.

Hello Kitty stands on the dial, wearing pink (what else?) in her signature waving pose. She is executed in glossy lacquer, painted by hand. The dial is textured in relief, with alternating sand blasted and satin brushed surfaces, to resemble pixels.

The Hello Kitty timepiece features the brand’s characteristic Moon Invader case in steel, but smaller than the Pokemon or Batman watches at 40mm in diameter. This case was meant to recall Apollo-era moon landing craft, with the strap attached via an integrated ball and socket joint.

It is fitted with a self-winding movement that is either a Sellita or ETA.

The RJ x Hello Kitty is also available in a bejewelled version with its steel bezel set with 70 diamonds.

Price and Availability

The Romain Jerome RJ x Hello Kitty watch is priced at €9,950 or US$9,950 while the diamond-set version is priced at €13,500 or US$12,950. Both editions are limited to just 76 pieces.