Honestly, these are not the watches most people consider professional. With some exceptions, they are bright and colorful. On the other hand, they are perfect for a night out or any other occasion when you want to express your individuality. Here is some information about the artist, the watchmaker, and the collection they collaborated on.
Jen Stark - The Artist
Jen Stark is an artist primarily known for her colorful, psychedelic works. She works with repeating geometric patterns, fractals, the Fibonacci sequence, and other core patterns, drawing inspiration from ancient sacred geometry. Besides painting, she works in a variety of media including wood, metal, mirrors, animation, and her famous paper sculptures.
Stark has participated in several unique exhibitions. One of her first notable displays was a custom bathroom interior for the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills. This work caught the attention of some local tech community members, leading to her big break the following year. In 2015, she secured a contract to paint a huge, prominent mural at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park.
In 2019, Stark collaborated with the Joshua Liner Gallery in New York to completely transform the interior. The entire gallery, previously just white to highlight the artworks, became an artwork itself. She painted the walls with colorful patterns and integrated new angles into the walls to create optical illusions.
Stark's latest major exhibition took place in Los Angeles in 2020. At the “Spectrum of Light” exhibit, she created a giant prism from transparent tinted vinyl. As the sun moves across the sky, it casts a colorful pattern on the ground that changes throughout the day.
Armitron - The Watchmaker
Founded in 1975, Armitron is currently the fifth best-selling watch brand in the USA. It is also one of the few American watch companies to gain international recognition. Armitron first made a name for itself in the 1980s with its high-quality quartz watches, which were perceived as more luxurious than their Japanese competitors. They made significant efforts to establish celebrity partnerships, working with sports icons like Jerry Rice and Larry Bird.
But times change, and the market for premium quartz watches has shrunk. In response, Armitron has developed advanced digital chronometers for customers who need accuracy and automatic watches for those who prefer mechanical sensations. They also collaborate with designers, like Jen Stark.
Collections
The Jen Stark X Armitron Collection officially includes three different types of watches. These are the Silicone Collection, the Mesh Collection, and the Apple Watch Band Collection. However, the Silicone and Mesh Collections are generally the same. The difference lies in the design, with straps being either silicone or mesh, depending on the variety.
Nonetheless, these first two collections have much in common. They feature 40mm stainless steel dials, a slim round profile that creates a medium-sized wrist feel. All are styled in Jen Stark's signature psychedelic style with various combinations of colors and gray shades. The bezels are thin, with straight lugs and flat sapphire crystals. Hour positions are marked by long, thin metal indices, with slightly wider, pointed markers at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. The hands are sword-shaped, with the hour hand shorter and thicker than the minute hand. The second hand is long and needle-like, extending to the very edge of the watch.
The case, hands, and indices are available in black, gray, or gold, depending on the model. The metal color depends on the dial pattern and is matched accordingly. However, all metal components are the same color, so the hands, indices, and case always match. Additionally, the Mesh Collection straps are also color-matched.
The Apple Watch Band Collection is slightly different. These are rectangular watches with a design similar to “apple” watches, featuring rounded corners and two size options: you can choose 38mm x 40mm or 42mm x 44mm, depending on your wrist size. The dial is plain black, with white luminous dots at the hour positions. Behind the dots is an index with smaller hashes for minute marking. The hands are oval-shaped with luminous edging around black centers, giving a skeletonized impression. The display also includes other digital features such as temperature indication and a digital calendar. The artistic design of these watches is limited to the straps, which can be colorful or black and white.
Final Thoughts
While the Jen Stark collection is not the ideal choice for novice watch enthusiasts with a penchant for high-end watchmaking, it offers a fun and quirky type of watch for those seeking casual watches with a relaxed vibe.
For more information, visit the official Armitron website