Time+Tide
The Kiwame Tokyo KUBO (窪) puts Japanese design philosophy centre stage
Kiwame Tokyo’s new KUBO (窪) collection pairs three lacquered dials and a recessed small-seconds display with Japanese design philosophy.
Results for Kiwame Tokyo
16 articles · 1 video found
Time+Tide
Fratello
Is The New Kiwame Tokyo Kubo Beating The Big Names At Their Own Game?
Kiwame Tokyo is a brand I began covering in 2025. The Asakusa-based company makes classically designed watches while keeping affordability in mind. So far, this strategy seems to be working. With every new release, the pieces receive almost universal praise and sell at lightning-fast speed. Today, we take a look at the newest trio of […] Visit Is The New Kiwame Tokyo Kubo Beating The Big Names At Their Own Game? to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - Kiwame Tokyo Releases the New Kubo Collection
Kiwame Tokyo is a young Japanese microbrand founded in 2025 by watch industry veteran Masami Watanabe, dedicated to “honest watchmaking” from Asakusa, Tokyo. By this, Watanabe refers to timeless, well-finished and designed watches at accessible prices that steer clear of artifice and superficiality. The strong Calatrava dress-watch vibe of the debut Kurotsuki and Usuki models […]
Worn & Wound
Omakase and the Measure of Time: What Kiwame Tokyo and Sushi Teru Reveal about Japanese Craft
There is a specific moment, perched at the hinoki wood counter of Sushi Teru in the West Village, when you realize you are no longer ordering a meal, you are surrendering to it. This is the soul of omakase: “I leave it up to you.” It is an exercise in radical trust, a silent pact […]
Fratello
Hands-On With The Kiwame Tokyo Mune - Raising The Roof In Style
Kiwame Tokyo launched two new models, and I got a chance to go hands-on with them. Meet the Kiwame Tokyo Mune in two colorways. These watches subtly nod to Japanese roof architecture. As I tend to be skeptical about thematic watches, my first thought was, “Do these hold up if you strip away the backstory?” […] Visit Hands-On With The Kiwame Tokyo Mune — Raising The Roof In Style to read the full article.
Video
5 NEW Watch Models That Just Dropped This Week - May 2026
Welcome to the watch releases update - a weekly youtube show covering new watch models and industry news. We have new watches from Omega, Awake, Kurono Tokyo and more. Enjoy the video:)
Time+Tide
Kiwame Tokyo introduces the MUNE(棟), inspired by iconic Japanese architecture
It goes without saying that here at Time+Tide, we love to champion microbrands. While we all love to see what’s new from the biggest brands, the microbrand sphere is the lifeblood of the watch collector scene; it’s where everyone can explore new things and express themselves with interesting, under-the-radar brands. There are niches within that … ContinuedThe post Kiwame Tokyo introduces the MUNE(棟), inspired by iconic Japanese architecture appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Kiwame Tokyo Returns to Form with the MUNE Field Watch Series
Kiwame Tokyo introduces the MUNE Series, featuring lacquered dials, a 38mm case, and Miyota 9039, blending dress and field watch design cues.
Monochrome
Introducing - Kiwame Tokyo Launches its Third Chapter, the Accessible MUNE Series
A fairly new brand from Japan with the goal of delivering “honest watchmaking from Asakusa” and “affordable Japanese watches,” Kiwame Tokyo has made quite some noise with its first two releases, the Kurotsuki and Usuki models as its inaugural pieces, and the IWAO Field series at the end of last year. Mixing vintage Calatrava elements, […]
Time+Tide
Japanese microbrand Kiwame Tokyo introduces the Iwao series with dials inspired by stone
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’s Iwao Is a Field Watch That Avoids Microbrand Gimmicks
Kiwame Tokyo introduces the Iwao, a thoughtfully designed field watch emphasizing clarity, balance, and detail.
Fratello
Hands-On With The Refined Kiwame Tokyo Iwao Ginkai And Sumi
We have seen a massive increase in interesting small Japanese brands in recent years. Great examples are Kurono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka, Kikuchi Nakagawa, and Minase. One of the newest microbrands is Kiwame Tokyo, which presented its inaugural Kurotsuki and Usuki models not too long ago. The watches stood out because of their beautiful dials. For […] Visit Hands-On With The Refined Kiwame Tokyo Iwao Ginkai And Sumi to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - Kiwame Tokyo Launches its Second Collection, the IWAO Field Watches
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 […]
Worn & Wound
Review: the Debut Releases from Kiwame Tokyo
One of the most unexpected but delightful trends to emerge in watches over the last few years is the rise of the “Japanese Calatrava” style watch. Even if you haven’t heard this term thrown around, you probably know exactly the type of watch I’m talking about, as there have been several that have emerged relatively recently. The small dress watches made by Kurono Tokyo are an obvious example, and perhaps the genesis of it all. Brands like Kikuchi Nakagawa and Noaya Hida are also part of this conversation at the more luxurious end of the spectrum, and of course there are a variety of affordable watches that sit nicely in this category or are tangential to it, like Kuoe and Orient (which admittedly has been doing this for many, many years). I like this trend because it feels like a small segment of the watch world is pushing back on the dominant force in watches over the last decade: the vintage inspired sports watch. I’m no hater – I own a few vintage inspired sports watches and can appreciate the good ones, but they are so ubiquitous it’s tough to see them as anything but generic. The simple Calatrava style watches coming out of Japan are of course similarly generic, but are a welcome flip side to the sports watch coin, and I like the idea that someone entering the hobby now might find themselves down a rabbit hole of small dress watches as opposed to Submariner-style divers. I’d be very curious what that collector has in their watch box five or ten years...
Monochrome
Introducing - Accessible Elegance from Japan, with New Brand Kiwame Tokyo
Japan is known for being one of the most mature and fascinating markets for new and vintage watches, home to serious collectors, as well as long-established manufacturers. In recent years, we’ve also seen the rise of a proper independent scene, ranging from accessible to ultra high-end, with Hajime Asaoka being on both ends of the […]
Worn & Wound
Introducing Kiwame Tokyo, a New Japanese Microbrand
The independent watch space in Japan is one of the most interesting in the world right now. There have, of course, always been a lot of great watches coming out of Japan, but the last few years have seen a real surge in enthusiast focused releases from brands at literally every price point, and they’ve been redefining what a Japanese watch looks and feels like. We recently covered the latest release from Ōtsuka Lōtec, a daring haute horology experiment with a six figure price tag, and this year also saw the unveiling of Naoya Hida’s first perpetual calendar, which, for me personally, is still one of the very best watches I’ve laid hands on in 2025. These watches, and others, make for great examples of the breadth of Japanese watchmaking, but not everything new and interesting is prohibitively expensive. Case in point, Kiwame Tokyo, an entirely new brand that recently came across our radar. Kiwame is the brainchild of Masami Watanabe, a 30 year veteran of the watch industry who began his career importing luxury watches from European brands to his native Japan. Over time, he also became interested in the burgeoning microbrand scene, and the stated goal of Kiwame is to create a “truly Japanese” microbrand that captures the refinement and craft that is often associated with Japanese design principles. Kiwame debuted their first two watches only a short time ago and they quickly sold out of each 99 piece limited edition (an additional run is promised for Novembe...
Fratello
Introducing: The Kiwame Tokyo Kurotsuki And Usuki Models
Switzerland, Germany, and Japan make up my “big three” of the watchmaking world, with France on the rise. Yet, of all these hubs, Japan has been slow to embrace the microbrand trend. Big brands, including Seiko, Grand Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Casio, dominate the market. Recently, however, independents such as Kurono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka, Kikuchi […] Visit Introducing: The Kiwame Tokyo Kurotsuki And Usuki Models to read the full article.