The Speedmaster Rising Sun is probably not new to you, as a Fratello regular, but the truth is that it is still a very under-the-radar watch. In this video, Karina and I talk about the Omega Speedmaster Rising Sun, the limited edition for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The Games have been postponed to later this […]

Visit Karina and RJ Talk About The Speedmaster Rising Sun to read the full article.

 

Michael Stockton certainly coined a nickname that stuck with "Rising Sun," but the genesis of that nickname is bizarre:

"We gave the Omega Speedmaster Rising Sun its nickname due to its hue proximity to the Japanese flag. Sure, in this case, white is replaced with grayish silver and red with more of a burgundy, but we think it aligns perfectly well with the flag of the country that is hosting the Games in 2020. "

The above rationale is reasonable, if one ignores entirely the overarching history of why this watch is the color "red" in the first place: the 5 Tokyo 2020 watches represent the colors of the Olympic Rings, which Olympic colors themselves represent the different continents: "The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” (Olympic Charter, Rule 8)"

The red Olympic ring represents the Americas, while the yellow Olympic ring represents Asia/Japan:





So, there is a degree of both historical and geographic oddity in proposing a nickname of "Rising Sun" for an Olympic tribute watch specifically intended to represent the Americas within the suit of Olympic colors, and from a series commemorating an Olympics to be hosted by a country within the yellow continent.

Perhaps, though, this is more the fault of the European Olympic designers of the 1910's who decided to quite awkwardly indicate Asia as yellow (yikes!), Africa as black (watch out!), the Americas as red (jeez!), and Europe as blue-blood... I mean blue.

May as well include a photo of the Tokyo 2020 that actually represents Japan in the Olympic rings:

 

Maybe I'm not catching your drift?

It's obvious what "Rising Sun" refers to, in one context.

But in this context, it is bizarrely mangling/mixing metaphors.

Omega & Olympics: "Hey guys, we're putting out 5 commemorative Olympic Speedmasters, the colors of the Olympic rings."

Guy from Florida who writes for Fratello: "Cool, why the 5 different watches with 5 different colors?"

O&O: "Well, for a century the Olympics have had these 5 different rings, with 5 different colors, each color representing a different continent."

Guy from Florida: "Coooool, so obviously the red ring represents Japan, right?"

O&O: "No, actually, the red ring represents the Americas, while Asia is represented by..."

Guy from Florida: "But have you heard about 'Land of the Rising Sun,' which is like, Japan and Samurais and stuff?"

O&O: "Yes, we've heard of that, but you see this watch is about the Olympics and while they are be held in Japan the red watch does not..."

Guy from Florida: "Cool, we'll call the red one the Rising Sun because Japan."

O&O: "But the red one represents... oh fuck it."

 

Bingo

 

Here’s my Africa, called “Panda” (Asia again!?)

 

Not that this really matters, but do you think that this will be a future collectible Robert?

 

I honestly feel like when COVID is just a distant memory, these things will suddenly be collectable. Right now, maybe not because we're still living through this. Also, if people can pay up the nose for NFTs, it's not a far stretch that these could be collectable one day.

 

Please no one tell @cvalue13 about the Rolex Steve McQueen.

his head might explode or he will invade Italy.


While we are at it... what do you think about the fully electric Porsche Taycan Turbo?

 

A better analogy: Rolex collaborates with military hospitals around the world to issue a “yellow ribbon” Submariner with a yellow bezel in support of military personnel, but then a watch blogger calls it the “Beatles Sub” because, you know, ‘Yellow Submarine”...

“Beatles Sub” is relevant and catchy for obvious reasons (just like “Rising Sun”), but the new nickname does displace and somewhat cheapen the collaboration’s intended symbolism and meaningfulness of the watch.

I might only be left to wonder if the blogger who came up with the Beatles nickname even understood why the watch was yellow in the first place?

But hey, they’re just watches, and it’s only the Olympics

 

And it’s Green and Gold.......oi, oi, oi