Exclusively distributed by It’s ‘Bout Time Inc., Swiss luxury watch brand Romain Jerome held an intimate dinner to launch its latest timepieces in the Philippines. In attendance was Romain Jerome CEO Manuel Emch, who took some time to discuss the maison’s new models and the stories behind each remarkable piece.

Steampunk 46 Gunmetal and Moon Orbiter II Metal

The company began its operations in 2006, producing pieces that play with the notion of legends and icons as tribute to mankind’s rich history. To date, its timepieces are sorted into four major categories: Air, Earth, Sea, and Collaborations. The first watch it produced was a piece infused with steel from the ship Titanic. The material was provided by the Harland & Wolff shipyards, where the Titanic was originally built.

Next, the company created the Moon-DNA collection, which contains parts of the Apollo 11 in the bezels and also moon dust in the cases. More recently, Romain Jerome turned to Mother Earth’s treasures to interpret the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, infusing lava stone and ash from the volcano into the two models of the collection.

Batman-DNA, RJ X Super Mario Bros., and Tattoo-DNA by XOIL

The company has also been aggressive in finding partners to work with for its Collaborations line. The Generational Icons collection, in particular, boasts pieces inspired by the comic book character Batman, the DeLorean car from the film Back to the Future, and the videogames Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Tetris, and the latest, Super Mario Bros. Meanwhile the Historical Icons collection celebrates the diverse cultures of the world, through timepieces commemorating the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, and watches infused with parts from the Statue of Liberty and Berlin Wall. Finally, the brand has also collaborated with artists for the Tattoo-DNA collection, which features hand-tattooed artwork on the straps.

In the Philippines, only selected models of Romain Jerome timepieces are available for purchase at the showroom of Jaguar in Bonifacio Global City.