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Time+Tide
This restrained and elegant take on a field watch from a Japanese watch industry veteran is an exquisite example of "honest watchmaking".The post Japanese microbrand Kiwame Tokyo introduces the Iwao series with dials inspired by stone appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kiwame Tokyo introduces the Iwao, a thoughtfully designed field watch emphasizing clarity, balance, and detail.
Monochrome
It’s only been a couple of months since we talked about Kiwame Tokyo, a new micro-brand from Japan with the goal of delivering “honest watchmaking from Asakusa” and “affordable Japanese watches.” The project of industry veteran Masami Watanabe, the brand started with an appealing Calatrava-inspired pair of watches offered at a fair price, the Kurotsuki […]
SJX Watches
In order to mark the spiral hairspring’s 350th anniversary and celebrate its inventor Christiaan Huygens (1629 – 1695), Japanese watch retailer Shellman presents a two-week exhibition event in Tokyo, The Origins of Time = Astronomy. Opening November 19 and slated to run through December 2, the Shellman exhibit is a collaboration with the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and showcases the larger extent of Huygens’ work, from horology to optical observation devices. Themed around the Dutch scientist credited with building the first pendulum clock and with inventing the hairspring, the exhibit also explores larger fields of horology, with a focus on astronomy and modern independent watchmaking. Original drawings showing early attempts at making a sprung balance. Beyond his practical applications in horology, Huygens left marks on many other scientific fields, from geometry to physics and astronomy. He notably discovered Saturn’s largest moon Titan and cemented the wave theory of light propagation. One could say that he was interested in the celestial bodies as much as he was in understanding motion and measuring time here on Earth. In his honour, the exhibit leans on the astronomical theme as well. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of special watches available for sale. Visitors will have the chance to acquire the world’s smallest wristwatch planetarium, the Planetarium Christiaan Huygens Limited Edition, created by the Du...
Time+Tide
Hajime Asaoka treats himself to a 60th birthday present with the new Grand Jubilee Calendar in elegant salmon.The post Kurono’s triple calendar is back, but this time dressier than before appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko returns to its Sport Collection with an even bolder and edgier take on its flagship chronograph with the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009. Combining an oversized case Brilliant Hard Titanium and a high-spec, high-beat chronograph movement, the striking new is Tentagraph is surprisingly not an all-new design but an iterative evolution that builds on the existing Sport Collection case. Initial Thoughts While a strength of Seiko itself, chronometry-focused Grand Seiko has historically struggled with sports watches, though not for lack of trying. In 2019 Grand Seiko launched the angular and aggressive Sport case featuring a facetted, polygonal form with a sapphire-covered bezel to celebrate 20 years of Spring Drive. Grand Seiko intended the design to evoke the mane of the brand’s lion mascot. In 2023 came the regular production Tokyo Lion series, and the brand also extended the design language into its jewelled Masterpiece watches. The “lion’s mane” case design reminds me of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept, and with the addition of an octagonal bezel the resemblance has only grown, though I wouldn’t say it is derivative – if anything the Grand Seiko case is a more boisterous take on the 45GS design from the late 1960s. The earlier Spring Drive GMT Chronograph SBGC275 with a less stylised case design I quite liked the Sport case when it was launched in 2019, especially the rose gold SBGC230, but it felt unfinished with a round bezel and buttons. With...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
I've never, not once, looked at a purple watch and thought to myself-"hell yeah". But Seiko has a way of making me reconsider things, especially when there’s a story behind the color. With the new Prospex SSC955, they’ve tied a punchy shade of Edo purple to something bigger: the World Athletics Championships coming to Tokyo in 2025. And the result is a solar chronograph that feels more thoughtful than flashy, which, frankly, is exactly what Seiko’s better at than most.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko’s flagship mechanical chronograph has been reimagined as the Sports Collection Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009. Executed in the brand’s proprietary “Brilliant Hard Titanium”, the oversized, facetted case is inspired by the paw of a lion, the historical emblem of Grand Seiko. This is the first time the Tentagraph movement is being combined with the Tokyo Lion case, setting it apart from the original model that was in the classic Grand Seiko Evolution 9 design. Initial thoughts While the original Tentagraph was conventional in style, the Tokyo Lion edition is big and bold. The watch has presence on the wrist. The case is large at 43 mm wide and almost 16 mm high, with its many facetted surfaces catching the light nicely. While the concept of a lion-inspired case might sound gimmicky, the new Tentagraph has its own appeal. The size and style makes this less of a low-key everyday watch than the first Tentagraph, but definitely more striking and original. Even though the Tokyo Lion case is arguably an acquired taste, I like this more than the original. At US$16,400, the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph is one of Grand Seiko’s priciest models in non-precious metal. But it is a flagship watch with a latest-generation movement, the cal. 9SC5, which incorporates the proprietary Dual Impulse Escapement and a free-sprung balance. The only shortcoming of the watch is the modular construction of the movement. Ten beats per second While the Tokyo Lion case design has been emplo...
Fratello
When Grand Seiko launched the first Tentagraph in 2023, it was also the brand’s first all-mechanical chronograph. Two years later, two new Tentagraph models debut - the Evolution 9 SLGC007, which is a new colorway of the 2023 SLGC001, and the bold Tokyo Lion SLGC009, a watch in the Sport Collection. Yes, Grand Seiko presents […] Visit Grand Seiko Presents Two Completely Different Tentagraph Watches: The Cool Evolution 9 SLGC007 And The Wild Tokyo Lion SLGC009 to read the full article.
Time+Tide
This is the sportiest Tentagraph yet.The post The new rubber-strapped Grand Seiko SLGC009 brings the Tentagraph to a titanium Tokyo Lion case appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Following last year’s SBGA481, Grand Seiko continues to expand the Sport Collection “Tokyo Lion” series inspired by the big cat in the Grand Seiko emblem. Like its predecessor, the Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion” sports a stylised, angular titanium case inspired by a lion’s paw and a textured dial modelled on a mane, now joined by a red GMT hand. Initial thoughts The “Tokyo Lion” is one of the most distinctive case designs in Grand Seiko’s large catalogue, and also the flagship given its complex finishing (and accompanying price). While most Grand Seiko watches opt for patterned dials and conservative, even bland, case styles, the “Tokyo Lion” makes a statement with its is generous dimensions and angular styling. The design is also particularly suited to Grand Seiko’s signature flat-polishing technique. With their wide, flat surfaces, the claw-inspired lugs are an excellent medium to showcase zaratsu polishing. It is, however, a large case at almost 45 mm wide and 15 mm high, so it’s catered to someone seeking a bold sports watch, and not an old-school Grand Seiko dress watch. The texture of the dial is striking, even though Grand Seiko has no shortage of dial patterns in its offerings. The dial artfully mimics a lion’s mane, giving it more visual depth than the typical Grand Seiko dial. Though few, the red accents on the dial add just enough colour and complement the ivory dial well. The dial might have been slightly dull without th...
Hodinkee
Hodinkee's Tokyo event – in partnership with Porsche Design – will be something special.
Deployant
In celebration of the 20th Aniversary of the F.P.Journe Boutique in Tokyo, the maison releases a new chronograph which they call the Chornographe FB.
Monochrome
Grand Seiko and the lion symbol go back a long way. United on the first Grand Seiko watch of 1960 featuring the emblem of a proud lion on its caseback, the feline has inspired the case architecture and dial of the “Tokyo Lion” series. Just two years after Grand Seiko was granted independence from Seiko […]
Fratello
Sometimes, a watch brings something very different from actual time-telling. And when it hits all the right notes, the watch might as well be an artwork for your living room, but it’s on your wrist and happens to tell the time. This is the modus operandi for the British company Mr Jones Watches and its […] Visit Hands-On With The Tadaima By Mr Jones Watches - A Poetic Ode To Tokyo to read the full article.
Deployant
Our Chief Editor was recently featured in an interview by Maruyama Naomi on her Watch Spirits Tokyo YouTube channel. Here is the link to the video.
Time+Tide
It’s Trading Faces time! For those tuning in for the first time, Trading Faces is a column in which I break down genuine watch trades I have made in my collection. I love writing this column, not only because it means there is a new and exciting, at least for me, watch in my collection, but also because it … ContinuedThe post TRADING FACES: Why I just gave up five Kurono watches for this one Piaget appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
True to form, Patek Philippe has debuted more than a dozen new timepieces from its Rare Handcrafts collection at the brand’s Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo. Reserved exclusively for the Japanese market, the new collection includes dome clocks, table clocks, pocket watches, and wristwatches. Featuring traditional Japanese motifs, the new releases reflect Patek Philippe’s expertise in a range of precious crafts and techniques, including marquetry, guilloché, and various forms of enamelling including Grand Feu cloisonné, paillonné, flinqué, and grisaille enamel. The event is taking place at the Sankaku Hiroba expo centre in Shinjuku and runs from now until June 25, 2023. Admission is free and no registration is required to attend. Detail of the ref. 995/134G-001 “Shizuoka and Mount Fuji” pocket watch Dome clocks and table clocks When it comes to Patek’s Rare Handcrafts, nothing serves as a better backdrop for an artist’s skills than the brand’s iconic dome clocks. Measuring 213.5 mm tall and 128 mm in diameter, each clock is powered by the mechanical cal. 17’’’ PEND, which is conveniently rewound by an electric motor. While I often find that miniature paintings on wristwatch dials can look cramped at such a small scale, the large panels of a dome clock provide ample space for more dynamic compositions. Case in point is the Dome Clock ref. 20137M-001 “Hanami”, which uses Grand Feu cloisonné enamel to depict the Japanese custom of appreciatin...
SJX Watches
Amongst the special editions created for the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo is the World Time Minute Repeater Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 ref. 5531R-014. The ref. 5531R-014 is the more complicated of the two world time models that mark the event – the other is the ref. 5330G – and features a cloisonné enamel dial. The dial continues with the motif first found on the ref. 5531R-010 made for the Grand Exhibition 2019 that took place in Singapore. Its centre is cloisonné enamel depicting a stylised map of the Chuo ward in central Tokyo, including the expansive grounds of Imperial Palace on the upper left. Initial thoughts Unlike the other two Grand Exhibition Tokyo 2023 complications – Quad Comp ref. 5308P and World Time ref. 5330G – that are new references containing new calibres, the ref. 5531R is a variant of a regular-production model. So while it less interesting from that perspective, the ref. 5531R-014 is still an compelling watch. The cloisonné map is an unusual motif for a dial, and almost abstract at a distance, but interesting and appealing. The watch does have intrinsic appeal, however, it also does look similar to the ref. 5531R-010 made for the 2019 Grand Exhibition in Singapore. In fact, the two are probably indistinguishable from across a room. Doing something more distinctive, for instance another case metal and dial colour, would have made this more unique. A bird’s eye view of Tokyo The cloisonné enamel dial captures the Ch...
SJX Watches
The flagship model in Patek Philippe’s special edition line-up for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, the Quadruple Complication Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 ref. 5308P-010 is an entirely new reference that becomes one of the most complicated watches in the Patek Philippe catalogue. Described as a quadruple complication because it has a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and a twin chronograph, the ref. 5308P is a direct evolution of the ref. 5208. Both are essentially alike, save for the addition of the split-seconds mechanism in the ref. 5308P. Initial thoughts Like all of Patek Philippe’s top-of-the-line grand comps, the ref. 5308P is an imposing and heavy watch that makes a statement on the wrist (unlike the relatively compact ref. 5330G World Time created for the same event). And with the “rose-gilt opaline” dial, this is also visually striking and definitely hard to miss. Though it might seem similar to the ref. 5208, with only an additional seconds hand to set them apart, the ref. 5308P incorporates some interesting technical tweaks, including a revised isolator mechanism for the split seconds. Still, like the ref. 5208, the ref. 5308P is a modular grand complication with the perpetual calendar and split-seconds chronographs made up of modules stacked up under the dial. This is arguably a less sophisticated solution then an integrated chronograph (a perpetual calendar is conventionally a module regardless). Four comps The ref. 5308P has a dial in “ro...
SJX Watches
Having just opened the doors of the Watch Art Grand Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, Patek Philippe also revealed the special editions created for the event, including the World Time Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 ref. 5330G-10. Limited to 300 watches available only in Japan, the ref. 5330G-010 is the brand’s first world time with a date display. It features a guilloche dial in purple, the thematic hue of the exhibition, along with subtle references to Japan on the dial. Initial thoughts While the ref. 5330G-010 is not the flagship complication of the Watch Art Tokyo 2023 event – that title is claimed by the ref. 5308P Quadruple Complication – the new World Time is quintessential Patek Philippe. For one, the world time complication, though not invented by Patek Philippe, is strongly associated with the brand. At the same time, the date display is both practical and incorporated in an elegant manner, while the mechanics behind the date are sophisticated and thin as is typical of the brand’s approach to movements. Also in its favour are the discreet and tasteful references to Japan on the dial. But while the plum dial is striking and rich, the colour might not be for everyone. But putting aside the colour, the ref. 5330G-010 is an appealing watch. It is limited to just 300 pieces sold only in Japan, which makes availability at retail non-existent for most, but fortunately the ref. 5330 will almost certainly make it into the catalogue as a regular production model, as past exhi...
Time+Tide
The Kurono 2023 Anniversary Calendrier “Azuki” will be the last Calendrier I produced As an Anniversary model the watch is not a limited edition, it is time limited with all successful orders honoured The first Kurono dial to be made of phosphor-bronze, the case’s water-resistance is raised to 50m Cards on the table, I have … ContinuedThe post New Kurono 2023 Anniversary Calendrier ‘Azuki’ : アズキ is your last chance to purchase the model – but it is not limited! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s Note: Recently the Kurono Chronograph 1 Mk.2 went up for sale, and has since sold out. More seasoned watch enthusiasts are likely familiar with the cult-followed micro-independent brand, but, for those new to to the space, some of you may have been wondering what all the hoopla on social media was all about. So, we refer you to Zach’s first story on … ContinuedThe post Why do you keep hearing about Kurono watches? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
This week for the Wind Down I am going to dig into some last-minute headlines you may have missed. Within the last 24 hours, Nomos, Kurono and Louis Erard all delivered some under-the-radar reveals. Nomos refine their Ludwig neomatik 41 Date with revised date disc Earlier today, Nomos debuted their new Ludwig neomatik 41 date … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: New Nomos, Kurono and Louis Erard drops this week appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
Often with incoming pieces GaryG resists the temptation to wear a watch until he has had the chance to photograph it in pristine condition, but in the spirit of fun he chucked out the principle of restraint and slapped his new Hajime Asaoka Kurono Anniversary Green Mori right on his wrist. When you read Gary's story and see his photos you will know why.
Time+Tide
Amongst those who know me in the metal, and, to be fair, if you have read my previous coverage of the brand, you know I am an avid collector of Kurono watches. Their classic-inspired designs and sizing really works well on my smaller wrist, and their exploration of colour has helped liven up the variety … ContinuedThe post A multi Kurono owner shares his tips to secure the new Chronograph II White Shiro appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Kurono drops a new chronograph - its third chronograph, with a brilliant white dial with red accents, also known as "shiro".
Time+Tide
EDITOR’S NOTE: Since Zach wrote this story earlier in the week, Kurono had a slight change of heart. Originally this watch was only going to be made available to women in a bid to expand their female audience. However, based on community feedback, the brand has now tweaked this policy and will now prioritise women … ContinuedThe post Kurono takes affirmative action to boost their female audience with their Kurono SEIJI release appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
We covered briefly the arrival and unboxing of the Kurono Chronograph 2. Here is the detailed, hands on review, after a couple of weeks with the watch.
Quill & Pad
With the 2020/2021 Olympic Games now in the (record) books, Nick Gould and Elizabeth Doerr can look back on a record number of watch spots for one event – but they certainly didn’t flag up every single watch they noticed. Here Elizabeth shares a listing of ten athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games who wore watches while competing by Omega, the official sponsor of the Olympic Games.
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