# Ancient Wrist Watches The '12 Gan-Ji' Watch is Based on Ancient Chinese Concepts By Tisah Tucknott | Published 2009-06-30 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/12-gan-ji References: [designboom](http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/24/view/6826/12-gan-ji-watch-by-brownbreath-with-alive-tokyo.html) & [brownbreath](http://www.brownbreath.com/) The ‘12 gan-ji’ watch has an extremely unique design, as it is based on an ancient Chinese time concept. The funny part is, it was not a Chinese company that came up with this design, but rather a Korean studio called [Brownbreath that collaborated](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/time-for-fun) with [Japanese watch brand](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/japanese-woodwork) Alive Tokyo. The Chinese time concept is shared by other East Asian countries, and the ‘12 gan-ji’ shows how the Oriental time concept divides a day into 12 terms, which correspond with [12 different animals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/year-of-the-snake-swatch-collection). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 42% | Activity: 33% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Watches](https://www.trendhunter.com/watches) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Ancient Time Concepts:** The '12 gan-ji' watch showcases the potential for incorporating ancient time concepts from different cultures into modern designs. - **Cultural Collaborations:** The partnership between the Korean studio Brownbreath and Japanese watch brand Alive Tokyo demonstrates the opportunity for cross-cultural collaborations in the design industry. - **Traditional-inspired Designs:** The '12 gan-ji' watch exemplifies the market potential for products that merge traditional and contemporary design influences. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Fashion and Accessories:** The fashion industry can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by incorporating ancient time concepts into wristwatch designs. - **Design and Collaboration:** The design industry can benefit from disruptive innovation by encouraging collaborations between artists and brands from different cultural backgrounds. - **Luxury and Lifestyle:** The luxury industry can tap into disruptive innovation opportunities by creating products that blend traditional and modern design elements, catering to consumers seeking unique and culturally rich experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Alternative Time Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dozen-clock.md) - [Cultural Dial Timepieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/radiomir-8-giorni.md) - [Opulent LNY-Inspired Wristwatches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/propilot-x-calibre-115.md) - [Global Timezone Timepieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nik-bentel-studio.md) - [Exclusive Zodiac-Inspired Timepieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/exclusive-zodiacinspired-timepieces.md) - [Y3K Aesthetic Timepieces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gshock-gav01.md) - [Dragon-Inspired Timepiece Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/year-of-the-dragoninspired.md) - [Lunar New Year-Honoring Watches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/breguet.md) - [Concentric Timezone Wall Clocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/analog-wall-clock.md)