INSTALLMENT.01
The Officially Sanctioned Zeon Principality Chronograph

Prelude: The Beginning of the Battle

It was in early February, as winter’s chill pressed in. My brain was approaching saturation point, buried in work for a new show, when I received a phone call through my hazy consciousness.
“Remember that B-Club column page we discussed? Well, it’s finally getting started… (omitted)… so, could you provide some Gundam-related content?”
“Gundam production info? But 0083 has already finished production…”
“Even that Next G project you mentioned before would work. We rarely get insights into the planning process.”
“But for something that isn’t even a proper series yet…”
“…” (They’re not listening…)
“Well then, K will contact you with the details. Goodbye.”
“Ah, Editor-in-Chief… (They’ve already hung up…)”
I held the receiver, head in hands. Yet perhaps my failure to refuse outright stemmed from my own dissatisfaction with recent Gundam articles?
If I could just figure out what was missing…
Lost in production work, the meeting day with Editor K arrived before I knew it.
Nothing had come to mind…
“Political SF settings just give readers headaches.”
“True, and MS Journal has already covered the mobile suits in depth…” (Editor K also manages MS Journal)
Without any breakthrough ideas, K and I continued our aimless discussion. Then something flickered in my mind… Wait a minute?
“Hey, has anyone ever done a feature on Gundam’s small items?”
“Hmm… No, they haven’t… Ah!”
“Right – Gundam means Universal Century. A future society. Naturally, it’s filled with various small items beyond just mobile suits and weapons. Cameras, watches, wire guns, even Haros…”
“And radio-cassette players, survival kits…”
“That’s it! Let’s call it ‘Gundam Imagination: Universal Century Mini-Monograph’… How’s that?”
“Like a Universal Century version of Mono Magazine? We could even include model kits!”
And so, the two of us (Editor K sharing my fate) set off to explore the G-World in search of items… blissfully unaware of the struggles ahead.
For this inaugural piece, at the editorial department’s suggestion, we’re starting with military equipment. It’s such an obscure topic that even Editor K had forgotten about it…
Does anyone remember the wristwatch that appeared in Episode 14, “Time, Be Still,” of the original Mobile Suit Gundam?

The Officially Sanctioned Zeon Military Chronograph

This watch featured advanced functions similar to S Company’s multi-function analog watch released years ago. At the push of a select button, the hands would move like living things, switching between timer and stopwatch displays (check your videos to confirm).
As the only officially designated timepiece for Zeon military personnel, this heavy-duty watch’s estimated specifications are:

■ Serial No: 143586
■ Dual movement system combining manual-wind 24-hour and quartz chronometer
■ Display: Four-hand system showing 24-hour display (Greenwich Mean Time), combined stopwatch/countdown timer with 60-minute precision hand and second hand, plus hour and minute hands (current time)
■ Stopwatch & Countdown Timer: 60-minute measurement with seconds
■ Case Material: Titanium-coated stainless steel
■ 10-atmosphere water resistance via screw-down crown. Shock-resistant. Anti-magnetic
■ Various utility functions including compass using central 24-hour display
■ Officially sanctioned for ground forces in U.C.00078
(Case back displays military emblem and specifications)

Given this is our first installment, I’ve included the column’s origin story. From next time, we’ll dive into our main topics. Please send requests for items you’d like us to cover, or your own Universal Century mini-mono reports!

–Letters requesting merchandise are also welcome.
(That might have been our real aim all along…)