Picture this: a watch that doesn't just tell time but pulls you right back into the blood-soaked world of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 1. Awake, the watchmaker known for blending movie magic with solid craftsmanship, has dropped their latest gem—the Deadly Watch. It's the second in their Tribute to the Seventh Art series, coming hot on the heels of the Jurassic Watch that paid homage to Spielberg's dinosaur epic. This one's all about that raw, revenge-fueled vibe from Tarantino's cult classic, and with just 88 pieces made, it's a nod to the film's infamous Crazy 88 squad. If you're a guy who's spent weekends rewatching those epic fight scenes, this limited-edition timepiece feels like it was made for your wrist.
Image credit: Awake
Awake built the Deadly Watch on their reliable Son Mai platform, turning it into something that screams cinema nostalgia while showcasing real Vietnamese artistry. The dial is the star here—hand-crafted in their Hanoi workshop using age-old Son Mai lacquer techniques. We're talking about master craftsmen who mixed up special pigments to capture the movie's bold look: bright yellow standing for that unbreakable purity and toughness, fiery red channeling all the anger and payback, and a deep black that dives into the shadows of mystery and inner turmoil. Each one of these dials takes almost ten hours of careful, hands-on work, creating a surface that grabs the light in ways that make it pop. To top it off, Awake added their signature Super-LumiNova glow to the hands and those applied indexes, so it lights up like a scene from the film even in the dark.
The details on this watch crank up the tribute factor. Down at the 6 o'clock spot, you'll spot a tiny pair of katanas, like they're ready for action. The Awake logo gets a makeover in a gritty spaghetti-western font, echoing Tarantino's love for those old-school shoot-'em-ups that shaped his style. Flip it over, and the caseback tells more of the story—engraved with the iconic line “I’m gonna kill Bill,” along with four M16 bullets and the “Crazy 88” numbering that ties it all back to that wild fight sequence.
Image credit: Awake
Under the hood, the Deadly Watch packs the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement, a solid performer with 24 jewels, ticking at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and delivering a hefty 68 hours of power reserve. It handles hours, minutes, and seconds with a hacking function for precise setting, and they've customized it with a tungsten rotor that keeps things running smooth. The strap seals the deal, handmade to mimic Beatrix Kiddo's unforgettable yellow-and-black getup—it's matte black Barenia calfskin on the outside, lined with yellow calfskin inside, and finished with yellow and red topstitching for that extra punch.
The case itself sticks to what works in the Son Mai line: a compact 39mm diameter that's easy to wear every day, 11.80mm thick, and 45.6mm from lug to lug. Made from recycled 316L stainless steel, it's got an anti-reflective sapphire crystal up front to keep things clear, a screw-down caseback with a sapphire window to peek at the movement, and it's water-resistant to 50 meters—enough for splashes but not deep dives. Awake didn't skimp on the eco angle either, using recycled materials where it counts.
Image credit: Awake
For the true fans, Awake threw in a surprise: two lucky buyers will snag a Golden Ticket, winning an exact replica of The Bride's legendary Hattori Hanzo katana. That's the kind of extra that turns a watch purchase into a full-blown adventure. Limited to those 88 numbered pieces, all referencing that pulse-pounding scene from Kill Bill Vol. 1, the Awake Son Mai Deadly Watch is up for grabs straight from the brand's website at EUR 1,650 before taxes.
This isn't just another timepiece—it's a slice of film history wrapped around your arm, blending that Tarantino edge with hands-on craftsmanship from halfway around the world. If you've ever felt the rush of Uma Thurman's sword-swinging quest for justice, slipping this on might just make your daily grind feel a bit more epic. Awake has nailed it again, proving that watches can be more than tools; they can be stories you carry with you.
