Bubble Gum, Broken Wings and the Colour of Time: How SEVENFRIDAY Bottled the Spirit of 1986

Kuala Lumpur, 1986.

At 13, life seemed permanently tuned to maximum volume.

Every afternoon, the radio in his bedroom crackled with the unmistakable pulse of New Wave. Boy George and Culture Club coloured the air with flamboyant confidence. David Bowie reinvented cool with every note. Siouxsie and the Banshees felt thrillingly mysterious. Cyndi Lauper insisted that girls simply wanted to have fun. Prince blurred every boundary imaginable. Rick Astley smiled from every magazine stand, while Madonna was no longer merely a pop star but a cultural force. 

Somewhere in between, Mr. Mister’s Broken Wings became the soundtrack he quietly memorised, lyric by lyric.

Every fortnight, part of his precious allowance disappeared into the latest copy of Galaxie magazine. Hollywood gossip, glossy celebrity photographs and giant fold-out posters transformed his modest bedroom into a shrine to an era intoxicated by colour, optimism and fearless individuality. 

Whenever his mother knocked, the magazine vanished beneath his Mathematics workbook with military precision. Homework resumed. Or at least, it appeared to.

Weekends brought another dilemma. Should he watch Genesis Climber Mospeada on TV3, or surrender the larger television to his younger sister and retreat to the smaller set in his parents’ room for another animated adventure? 

Birthday parties at McDonald’s Bukit Bintang, family outings to fast-food restaurants and endless afternoons chasing simple pleasures completed a childhood that now feels almost impossibly vivid.

The 1980s were never subtle.

Nor were they ever meant to be.

Forty years later, those memories returned with astonishing clarity inside Red Army Watches’ newly opened boutique at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

He had wandered in after a leisurely weekday lunch meeting with no intention of buying anything. Then he saw it.

The new SEVENFRIDAY P1C/06 “Bubble Gum.”

Some watches tell the time.

Others tell stories.

This one resurrected an entire decade.

One glance at its exuberant façade was enough to unlock a flood of forgotten memories. He asked the boutique assistant whether he might try it on. The moment the padded white calfskin leather strap settled around his wrist, 1986 rushed back with extraordinary force. 

For a fleeting instant, he was no longer an accomplished professional wandering through Kuala Lumpur’s luxury retail district.

He was that mischievous thirteen-year-old once again.

That emotional immediacy has always been SEVENFRIDAY’s greatest talent.

Since Daniel Niederer and Arnaud Duval launched the brand, SEVENFRIDAY has steadfastly ignored conventional Swiss watchmaking orthodoxy. Rather than pursuing restrained elegance, it embraced industrial architecture, urban culture and expressive design. 

It never chased timelessness in the traditional sense. Instead, it celebrated the present with infectious confidence.

Its philosophy remains wonderfully uncomplicated: Show me, don’t tell me.

Emotion before logic.

Creativity before conformity.

Experience before expectation.

The P1C/06 captures that philosophy more completely than almost any previous P-Series model.

Affectionately nicknamed “Bubble Gum”, it unapologetically celebrates the colourful excess that defined the 1980s without descending into parody. The intricately constructed four-layer dial is an irresistible feast of pastel nostalgia. 

A glossy mauve outer ring frames a papaya-coloured inner dial, while thick pink-lacquered applied indexes create striking depth and dimension. Beneath them sits a vivid pink dial base crowned by a pastel green upper plate carrying eleven applied indexes generously filled with Swiss Super-LumiNova, ensuring excellent visibility once daylight fades.

The result is surprisingly sophisticated.

What could easily have become visual chaos instead feels remarkably balanced, energetic and unmistakably SEVENFRIDAY.

Its signature squircle case, measuring a substantial 47.6mm by 47mm, remains one of contemporary watchmaking’s most recognisable silhouettes. Here, however, the bold architecture acquires unexpected warmth. 

A pristine white ceramic top bezel, matching animation ring and crown soften the industrial geometry, giving the watch an inviting personality that feels optimistic rather than aggressive.

Underneath the playful exterior lies dependable engineering. A proven automatic Miyota movement delivers approximately 40 hours of power reserve, providing reliable daily performance with reassuring mechanical honesty. 

Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating keeps the colourful dial crystal clear from every angle, while 10 ATM water resistance ensures the watch is built for genuine everyday life rather than occasional admiration inside a display cabinet.

Modern practicality extends beyond mechanics. Embedded discreetly within the caseback is an NFC chip that connects seamlessly with the SEVENFRIDAY mobile application, allowing owners to authenticate and register their watch securely while accessing the brand’s growing digital ecosystem. It is thoughtful technology serving ownership rather than distracting from it.

Perhaps that explains why Red Army Watches has become such an important destination for collectors across Malaysia. In an era when independent watchmaking has become one of horology’s most exciting frontiers, Red Army has consistently championed brands with genuine personality instead of merely familiar names.

 Its carefully curated portfolio celebrates originality, craftsmanship and individual expression—qualities increasingly treasured by enthusiasts seeking something refreshingly different.

The SEVENFRIDAY P1C/06 fits that philosophy perfectly.

It refuses to apologise for being joyful.

It reminds collectors that mechanical watches need not always be solemn instruments wrapped in monochrome seriousness. Sometimes they can simply make us smile.

Standing before the boutique mirror, he glanced once more at the vibrant dial glowing against the immaculate white strap. Suddenly, memories of Galaxie, McDonald’s birthday parties, cassette tapes, anime afternoons and Broken Wings no longer belonged solely to the past. They had found new life on his wrist.

He had entered Red Army Watches merely to browse.

He walked out carrying the SEVENFRIDAY P1C/06 “Bubble Gum”.

An impulse purchase, perhaps.

But also one of the most meaningful watches he had ever owned.

Some watches measure hours.

This one measures memories.

And he has never looked back since.

The SEVENFRIDAY P1C/06 “Bubble Gum” retails at RM 7,780 and is available now through Red Army Watches Malaysia at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur & 1 Utama and online at www.redarmywatches.com.my. 

*Photos courtesy of SEVENFRIDAY/Red Army Watches.