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We love a good watch, especially one that is both functional and stylish. These watches from Nixon are both, and they’re Nirvana-themed.
The brand’s new Nirvana Sentry Wobble is a mid-sized analog watch that appears bent and warped to match Kurt Cobain’s hand-drawn Nirvana smiley face graphic, an iconic motif that has become synonymous with the famed rock band. The themed Sentry Wobble is available right now on Nixon’s website retailing for $375. You’ve got two colorways to choose from, Matte Super Black / Blue and the ever-classic Yellow Nirvana Smiley.
The stylized smiley graphic is affixed to the watch’s dial and crown, further brought to life with faux hand-drawn linework throughout mimicking the weight of Cobain’s hand as he drew. As previously mentioned, these watches are stylistic, but come with all that good old Nixon craftsmanship needed to get the watch working, and working well.
The smiley face motif is surrounded by a solid stainless steel case, a hardened scratch-resistant mineral crystal, giving the watch durability and a stylish, shiny finish. Nixon watches, even the Nirvana ones, boast a waterproof rating of 50m, which basically means you’re free to shower or submerge your watch in water without issue — perfect for everyday use. The watch’s stainless steel band is black for the blue colorway and silver for the yellow model. The dial features applied indices, meaning the little lines that allow you to tell the time were placed there, not printed on, along with custom molded hands. The seconds track is printed on.
If you happen to spot a defect in your newly acquired Nirvana watch, whether that be scratching on the watch face or your band coming loose, Nixon offers a limited warranty of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two years after original purchase from an authorized Nixon dealer. This warranty doesn’t cover normal wear and tear or batteries, crystal, watch case, strap, bracelet, loss or theft.
The Nirvana smiley face is a classic motif. You know it for its warped shape and Xs for eyes. The logo made its grand debut on a flyer for the release party for the band’s 1991 album Nevermind. Some believe the smiley was an interpolation of the Seattle strip club The Lusty Lady’s signage, which bears a similar resemblance to the Nirvana classic. It is widely believed that Cobain drew the logo in 1991, around the release of Nevermind. Wherever it may have come from, its indisputable that the smiley face has become an icon.