Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) was not exactly thrilled when Mr. McGuire had only one word to say to him in The Graduate. Plastics, said the old man.

But while Braddock had no idea what role plastics will play in his future, Ice Watch CEO and co-founder Jean-Pierre Lutgen certainly did. When he conceptualized the first Ice Watch with fellow designers Polly Yu and Christy So in Belgium in 2007, Lutgen was quite clear about his vision: to reinvent the plastic watch.

“The watch business is very difficult to penetrate to begin with,” he says. “What we envisioned at Ice Watch is to create a watch that adheres to people’s social values, comes in a variety of colors and collector’s item packaging and, of course, has an affordable price tag. And that’s exactly what we did with Ice Watch.”

Although plastic watches have been around since the ‘60s and have reached its peak of popularity during the mid-‘80s, they haven’t enjoyed this sort of renaissance since. Lutgen, who was recently in town for the launch of the latest Ice Watch collection, was visibly pleased to note that since its introduction in 2007, Ice Watch now makes over 250,000 timepieces a month. It is also now distributed in 81 countries including the Philippines where it has enjoyed a steady following since it officially entered our shores in 2009.

Lutgen says Ice Watch got its name from the word ice which means “transparency and purity” and its identity stems from the design of the watch and its boxy packaging which the genial watch executive likens to “a block of ice.”

Although the watches do not offer much by way of technological innovations, what they do have are a variety of colors and styles with just “the right hint of luxury and boldness” that just about everyone can use for just about any occasion.

Easily very popular with the younger crowd is the Classic, Sili, and Neon collections that come in several bright colors that collectors in particular would enjoy mixing and matching with their choice outfits for the day. The Stone Sili and Stone PC collections in particular feature timepieces adorned with Swarovski crystals that add an extra touch of elegance for those who want to go formal but still want to stand out by wearing something that’s not as conventional.

Men who are at the top of their game will love the classy and sophisticated look of the Chrono and XXL collections. Lutgen himself wore a couple of Chrono models during our interview and they looked magnificent and not at all out of place with his tailored suit. Mostly available in black, white or two-tone shades of both, these watches are also distinguished by their striking, big faces.

“We now have over 20 different collections using a combination of colors and high quality materials,” Lutgen beams. “Our sleek and sexy designs do not sacrifice functionality as the watches, despite their affordable prices, are of very high quality.”

With a new line of striking, plastic watches, Ice Watch is once again slowly changing the way people wear their timepieces by offering a bright, playful and practical alternative to the usual golden or silver metal watches as well as those plain and increasingly boring bedazzled and leather ones.

Maybe it’s quite a stretch to say that they did reinvent the plastic watch but they sure make a good case for it. If nothing else, telling time has never been this, uh, vibrant. Even Benjamin Braddock will be thrilled to wear one on his wrist.

For more information on Ice Watch, visit http://www.ice-watch.com.