Hsu Chia-ming (徐嘉明), a 43-year-old watchmaker from Miaoli County, won the 2019 German Design Award in the lifestyle and fashion category with his craftwatch “Idodan,” which was inspired by four Hakka stir-fried dishes collectively known as “Si Chao (四炒).”

Hsu inherited his father’s business, which was established almost 50 years ago. He has a deep affection for the trade because of his father, who has been devoted to the watch-making industry for decades. In addition to providing the service of watch repairs, Hsu sells his watch parts via the internet, and also makes videos for people to learn simple fixes for their watches.

Working with his wife Chuang Ya-ting (莊雅婷), Hsu has recently re-focused his watchmaking business on creative design. He hopes that his father’s lifelong passion will be passed on and flourish.

Hsu firmly believes that every watch has its own story since he was a little boy who saw numerous dilapidated watches on his father’s workbench waiting for repair. The desire to extend the lifespan of such watches, which keep telling unique and extraordinary stories, inspired him to produce a wristwatch that is both aesthetically-pleasing and sensational.

In 2017, while participating in a guidance program on creative design launched by Miaoli County Government, Hsu created Idodan after Hakka cuisine “Si Chao,” by combining watch artistry with wood-carving techniques. After two years of research, development, and evaluation, his artistic work competed in the 2019 German Design Award. It eventually stood out from 5,000 competitors around the globe and became one of the winners.

Hsu explained that the name of his wristwatch “Idodan,” which means “what time is it?” in Hakka, is a kind of heartfelt greeting. The circular wood watch case embodies the idea of the round wooden table symbolizing a family reunion. Different wood colors also represent four distinctive Hakka dishes: chitterlings sautéed with ginger (薑絲大腸), Hakka stir-fry (客家小炒), pineapple sautéed with wood fungus (鳳梨炒木耳), and duck blood sautéed with chives (韭菜炒鴨血).

The invisible crown for adjusting time retains the pure circular design of the watch case. Other than the trademark, there are only nine dots on the surface, as “nine” and “long-lasting” are homophones in Mandarin Chinese, in an attempt to remind the wearer to spend more time with family members at the dining table. Hsu added that his watches are fully customizable, with all parts including bezels, cases, and belts replaceable.