This Colour-Changing Timepiece Aims to Get Men to Talk about Mental Health

In a new initiative to get men to open up, Swedish suicide prevention charity Mind is launching a watch that changes colour to reflect the mood of the wearer. The timepiece has been developed in collaboration with watch manufacturer Triwa and Forsman & Bodenfors, and the proceeds will go to Mind's work for mental health.

The new watch, called 'Time to Talk', features a heat-reactive dial that reacts to the user's body temperature, reflecting the mood of the wearer. It is the same material used in so-called 'mood rings', popular in the ’90s. The symbolic purpose of the product is to highlight the importance of meaningful conversations and lower the threshold for talking about how we feel. At the same time, it is a new way to increase awareness and raise money for Mind’s important work.

"In our statistics, we see that the number of calls to the suicide helpline increases as we approach the holiday season. In the last two years, the pandemic has also caused increased mental illness. Many men live in a distinct culture of silence, making it harder to talk about difficulties in life. This initiative is an unexpected way to raise a taboo topic in a target group that is hard to reach," said Karin Schulz, Secretary-General of Mind. 

The non-profit organisation Mind works with increasing knowledge and advocacy, as well as operating several helplines. On the back of the watch, the number 90101 is engraved. The phone number is there to highlight Sweden’s national suicide helpline, open 24 hours a day, all year round. 

The ambassador for the initiative is acclaimed and multiple Swedish Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist Erik Lundin.

"The silence among men is a massive problem. I have seen the consequences up close. So we have to find new ways to talk, and I hope this initiative can be a part of it," said Erik Lundin, artist, and ambassador for the project.

The new timepiece has been developed exclusively for the project and the proceeds go to Mind. 

"The watch as a symbol is classically male. Therefore, it’s interesting to use it as a tool to create meaningful conversations. As a watch manufacturer, we have always strived to contribute to real change, and we’re proud to be able to support Mind's important work," says Ludvig Scheja, founder and creative director at Triwa.

The number of calls to the Swedish suicide helpline increased dramatically in 2021. During the period January–October, Mind received 64,400 calls, compared to 44,100 calls in the same period 2020. About a third of those who called were men, while men are significantly overrepresented in Swedish suicide statistics. In 2020, 1,441 people took their lives. 70% were men and 30% were women.