ispoes! was designed by Belgium art student, Kaat Decunick. The concept and artwork formed part of a school project set by her lecturer, illustrator and author Kristof Devos. He also designed one of Mr Jones Watches’ most popular watches, A perfectly useless afternoon.
The watch is a playful take on the phrase ‘a game of cat and mouse’. Like the game, time often feels elusive: we can get caught up in a cycle of trying to catch up on lost time, instead of enjoying the moment.
Kaat said: "I often find myself spending time watching my cat play with his toys or even with the mice he catches. Although it’s really engrossing to watch, afterwards I always feel like I wasted all that time.
“When I got the assignment to create a watch design I wanted to tell a story that is relatable and easy to understand: To see the world through the cat’s eyes means we can understand that no time is ever really wasted - we just need to be more like the cat and fully live every moment.”
Mispoes in Dutch means literally “you missed, cat!” and is a phrase used when someone misses a catch or aiming a paper ball at the bin. The cat and mouse are locked in an endless pursuit, with the cat never quite fast enough to trap the mouse - mispoes!
To read the time on Mispoes! the wearer simply checks the position of the cat’s outstretched paw, which represents the hours, and the mouse, which marks the minutes.
Liberated by the fact that most people check the time on their mobile phones or smart devices, Mr Jones Watches specialises in playful and eye-catching watch designs that each have their own unique way to tell the time.