The global watch manufacture TIMEX has partnered with the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) for a limited line of 500 Ape-themed watches linked to a non-fungible token (NFT) wearable collection.
The in-real-life (IRL) watches will feature Bored Ape and Mutant Ape engravings and are available to Bored Ape and Mutate Ape NFT holders. The NFT watches are digital wearables that can be used with holder’s PFP avatars in virtual worlds.
Here’s what we know about the “Timepiece Forge Pass“ NFT collection:
- The NFTs can be minted for 2 ETH, around $2,500 at the time of this writing
- In mid-December, Forge Pass owners can use TIMEX’s website to design their watch, choosing from different watch cases, bands, and etchings
- Holders can have their Ape custom-printed on the dial and the Ape or the NFT’s unique token number engraved on the watch
- Each physical watch comes with an identical digital version as an NFT
- The collection goes on sale December 16th, and the IRL watches are expected to be shipped in the second quarter of 2023
Shari Fabiani, TIMEX’s Group’s senior VP of global marketing and creative services, said the company was entering Web3 by “redefining and pushing the boundaries of physical, virtual, and now phygital products.”
For the project, TIMEX received creative direction from longtime BAYC members CryptoVonDoom and JoshOng. This Friday, a few timepieces from the collection were visible in Miami at Art Basel at a private party held for members of the Ape community.
This isn’t the watchmaker’s first foray into NFTs. Last month, it released a challenge in the metaverse game Fortnite — and declared itself the “timekeepers of the metaverse.”
Phygital Products Are Becoming Popular in Web3
Over the last year, we’ve had the chance to see several trends emerge in Web3. One trend is the mixing of physical and digital products, or tying a digital object to a physical one — sometimes referred to as phygital. And TIMEX isn’t the only brand innovating in this space. Here are some of top stories about phygital products in Web3.
First, the Japanese sportswear company ASIC announced it partnered with STEPN, a move-to-earn app, to launch a Solana-inspired shoe. People who bought the the GT-2000 11 IRL shoe also received rewards, token-gated experiences, and an ASICS x STEPN NFT sneaker.
Next, whiskey brand Johnnie Walker partnered with Blockbar, 88rising, and Vayner3 to create an exclusive Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle and NFT collection. The VANDYPINK x Johnnie Walker Blue Label collection included 250 NFT tokens linked to a physical bottle of whiskey. To receive the bottle, owners must burn their tokens.
Lastly, on July 27th, 2022, the Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller dropped a set of 15,000 Mystery Box NFTs. Each Mystery Box came with IRL perks, like a tour of the Muller factory, and there were 10 IRL watches available in the drop.
For many brands, tying physical and digital products together makes sense — and it’s happening more all the time. TIMEX partnering with BAYC for a limited collection of IRL and digital watches should be a hit with the Ape community. We’ll be following up on any new developments in the story.