Jisa Shaji
What happens when a single letter takes over an entire dial?
It started with the “F.” A small detail on the Festina dial — something most people would look past without a second thought. Our IFL Watches‘ artist saw something else. The letter became a symbol, the symbol became a statement, and the statement became a hand-painted composition that fills the entire dial.
The result is the Festina Freedom — a limited edition built on Festina’s rectangular On The Square platform, rooted in urban muralism. Stencil outlines, spray-paint textures, and the word “FREEDOM” running across the center in multicolor graffiti text define the composition.
Available in 29 mm and 36 mm, with 200 pieces each size.
For those who’d rather wear it than explain it.
The Art of Liberation
The concept draws on the visual language of street art — raw, public imagery that treats any surface as a canvas. An orange brick wall backdrop, geometric color blocks in yellow, blue, red, and orange, and layered mark-making with spray-paint contrasts define the dial.
A reference to Nelson Mandela appears as a graphical accent within the design, reinforcing the theme of liberation. The word “FREEDOM” runs across the dial in graffiti lettering, tying the composition together.
Each dial is painted entirely by hand. The lines shift, the contrasts vary, and the colors land differently from piece to piece. No two watches in the collection are the same.
The Watch Behind the Artwork — Festina On The Square
Most hand-painted watches start with a circle. The On The Square starts with a rectangle — and it shows. The angular case gives the design defined edges and vertical weight that round dials do not offer.
Festina introduced the On The Square as a modern interpretation of retro-inspired rectangular watchmaking. The proportions are clean — a slim profile with brushed and polished stainless-steel surfaces and an integrated bracelet that flows directly from the case.
For our artists, the format demanded a new approach. The composition had to sit within vertical boundaries, pushing the result toward something more deliberate and more defined.
Technical Specifications
36 mm (F20677/1)
- Case: 36 mm stainless steel, rectangular, brushed and polished
- Thickness: 9 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 48 mm
- Lug width: 19 mm
- Weight: 132 g
- Movement: Miyota GR12 quartz
- Crystal: Mineral
- Water resistance: 5 ATM (50 meters)
- Bracelet: Integrated stainless steel with folding clasp
- Features: Date display
29 mm (F20679/1)
- Case: 29 mm stainless steel, rectangular, brushed and polished
- Thickness: 8 mm
- Lug-to-lug: 39 mm
- Lug width: 16 mm
- Weight: 90 g
- Movement: Miyota GR12 quartz
- Crystal: Mineral
- Water resistance: 5 ATM (50 meters)
- Bracelet: Integrated stainless steel with folding clasp
- Features: Date display
Availability and Price
The Festina Freedom is available from April 13, 2026, priced at $590.
Limited edition — 200 pieces each size.
