Results for Naoya Hida

Inside Naoya Hida & Co.: Luxury, Restraint, And Japanese Craft

If you value traditional Japanese lacquer over mass-market specs, check out Naoya Hida watches.More

Zenith and Naoya Hida & Co. team up for a double-signed G.F.J. Calibre 135

The Le Locle manufacture launches a new collaboration program, and its first partner is the most talked-about independent in Japan

Introducing the Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co.

The emergence of Naoya Hida as a major player in the independent space has been one of the more exciting developments in watches over the last few years. Whether Hida’s watches are to your taste or not (or your budget) there’s no denying that the brand presents a crystal clear point of view and takes no shortcuts to execute on it. In an environment with, frankly, a lot of half baked ideas, there’s something satisfying about a brand that knows exactly what it is. So it’s incredibly interesting that right on the heels of their recent 2026 launches, the brand has announced a new collaboration with Zenith on their G.F.J. platform.  This is honestly one of those world-colliding moments for me and I’m pretty excited about not only the watch but what this might signal for both Zenith and Naoya Hida moving forward. The G.F.J. feels like the right line for a brand like Naoya Hida to work within – it’s already cited as a watch that trades a little on the current trend toward artisanal dials (in exotic stones, specifically) that have become favorites among many high end indies. And there’s an undeniable synergy between the classic mid century design codes of the G.F.J. case and Naoya Hida’s aesthetic sensibility.  The G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co. is the first in what Zenith is referring to as their new “Double Signed” program, which will, according to the brand, invite selected partners to reinterpret iconic references. The naming con...

Introducing: The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed With Naoya Hida & Co.

Zenith’s caliber 135 continues its revival within the brand’s modern lineup with a new version. After the restored vintage-powered editions from 2022 and the following G.F.J. releases in 2025 and 2026, the brand now adds a special, limited collaboration with Naoya Hida to the collection. This time, the focus shifts toward Japanese independent watchmaking. The […] Visit Introducing: The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed With Naoya Hida & Co. to read the full article.

Zenith’s Calibre 135 Gets The Naoya Hida & Co. Treatment

First Look - The Double-Signed Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 with Naoya Hida & Co.

When Zenith, celebrating its 160th Anniversary, revived the Calibre 135 in 2025 with the launch of the G.F.J. collection, the manufacture brought back one of the most important precision movements, a calibre that dominated observatory chronometry competitions throughout the 1950s and remains the most awarded movement of its kind. Taking the story in an unexpected […]

Introducing: The Zenith G.F.J. Calibre 135 Double Signed with Naoya Hida & Co

What We Know Today, Zenith introduces a new "Double Signed" program for its Calibre 135-powered G.F.J. collection, and its first entry in this series is a collaboration with a Japanese independent that might not require all that much introduction around these parts—Naoya Hida. The evolution of the G.F.J. line has not taken all that long, with its origins starting in 2022 with the Zenith Caliber 135 Observatoire Limited Edition, where ten Calibre 135 movements from the 50s were restored by Kari Voutilainen and introduced in watches done as a triple collaboration between Zenith, Voutilainen, and auction house Phillips. Just three years later, the Calibre 135 was revived as a modern caliber for a line called the G.F.J. (after Zenith's founder Georges Favre Jacot). In just a little over a year, we've seen three small runs of this watch introduced in different stone-dial and metal combinations—platinum with a lapis lazuli dial, tantalum with an onyx dial, and an upcoming yellow-gold GFJ with a bloodstone dial. In the meantime, this new Double Signed concept with Naoya Hida takes the G.F.J. in a very different visual direction. The hefty 39.15mm platinum case, with a thickness of 10.5mm and a compact lug-to-lug of 45.75mm, remains the same as other G.F.J. models. But that dial is unabashedly Naoya Hida, constructed out of solid silver with the distinctive hand engraving coming from the hand of master engraver Keisuke Kano, the man responsible for the hand engraving across al...

Zenith collaborates with Naoya Hida to create a co-signed interpretation of the G.F.J.

We are seeing a rare Switzerland and Japan team-up, with Zenith unveiling a collaboration with another enthusiast favourite: Naoya Hida & Co. 

Naoya Hida × The Armoury Type 4A-2 “Floating Feathers”

Hands-On with the New Releases from Naoya Hida

One of my favorite days on the watch media calendar every year is the Naoya Hida preview day. Every spring for the last few years, watch media types make appointments at the Armoury on the Upper East Side to get a look at the upcoming Naoya Hida releases for the year. It feels like a very old fashioned way of doing things. Yes, there’s a press release sent out ahead of time, but Naoya Hida only makes one announcement like this per year – there are no mid-cycle drops or limited editions released to coincide with some later event. Members of the Naoya Hida team are present and there to explain the collection, piece by piece.  This year, Naoya Hida will produce a total of 10 models, 7 of which are new designs. We won’t go through each one here, but rather focus on the references that are completely new and those that have the most notable upgrades.  The reference that immediately caught my eye and was easily the most unexpected of the bunch is the new NH TYPE2C-2. To this point, Naoya Hida has really been defined, in my estimation, by their dial aesthetic, which prominently features elaborate hand engravings in the dial surface. It’s a very traditional and inherently ornate way to make a dial, and the execution is always top notch. It’s a type of craft that’s a true “IYKYK” proposition, though. From a distance the handwork on these dials might not be obvious, but they really come alive under close examination, especially under a loupe.  Anyway, the TYPE2C-2...

Introducing - The Armoury x Naoya Hida Reference Type 4A-2 Floating Feathers

Independent Japanese watch brand Naoya Hida & Co. usually plays it discreetly, with only a batch of new releases per year and a highly limited production capacity. Last week, the brand released its entire range of models for 2026/2027, a total of 10 new watches and 7 new references, including a spectacular chronograph, a compact […]

Introducing: The Armoury And Naoya Hida & Co. Type 4A-2 "Floating Feathers"

What We Know Usually, we only get one round of Naoya Hida & Co. releases each year, as the company manufactures so few watches per year (though that number is increasing) that one round of releases of 10+ models with around 10 watches per model per year is about the maximum. So imagine my surprise when we got a press release about a new collaboration between Hida-san and his retailer, The Armoury, to be released after the initial wave of releases. They've collaborated before (their "Lettercutter" is one of Hida's most beloved watches). This new release, the Type 4A-2 "Floating Feathers," is by far the most unusual and imaginative Naoya Hida watch yet. The watch uses a high-polish stainless steel Type 4 case (36mm by 42.9mm lug-to-lug, 11mm thick) with a central seconds hand, keeping the dial free for artistic expression. Mark Cho, co-founder of The Armoury, and designer Elliot Hammer say that they were inspired by decorative ornithological dials, botanical motifs, and nature scenes.  As ornithology is the study of birds, my thought immediately went to "singing bird boxes," but hey, I didn't make the watch, so no one asked me. Hammer, who travels to Japan often, said he was taken by their attention to space and timelessness, and in the press release says, "if there are feathers, there must have also once been a bird." Rationale for the design aside, Naoya Hida & Co. has the benefit of a talented in-house engraver, Keisuke Kano, and used the bead-blasted Argentium silver di...

Naoya Hida’s 2026 Releases, Including Updated Favourites and a Brand New Chronograph

New releases from Naoya Hida, echo/neutra, Sartory Billard and more

This week, it was all about the independents as the big brands did most of their releases during the fairs, with plenty of fun to be had.

Introducing: Naoya Hida & Co.'s 2026 Slate Of Releases, Including Two Brand-New Models And Their First Porcelain Dial

What We Know It's spring, which means it's time for Naoya Hida's annual trunk show, where the brand tours the world to showcase its new watches. If you're in town for one of their few stops (like next week in New York), you can treat it like any tailor's trunk show and find out if the watch is a good fit. And every year, Hida-san and his team unveil a few new styles. In fact, you can see the ten releases on offer below. Some are familiar; others have small tweaks (the Type1 is now the Type1E because of the new domed crystal that makes it 10.9mm). But there are three watches that are so distinctly new that it's worth talking about. Let's go in numerical order, starting with a watch that is essentially just a dial revision, but it's a dramatic one at that. The Type2 series has been around for six years now as the brand's central seconds movement, followed by revisions in 2021 and then the coveted collaboration with The Armoury in 2022, called "The Lettercutter." I know a lot of people fought to get that piece, but there's a new Type2C-2 that's going to get some attention. While a big draw for Naoya Hida is the hand-engraved German or Argentium silver dials (in fact, that's where a lot of the price goes), they've pivoted here to their first-ever porcelain dial. The watch, powered by a Cal. 3020CS manually-wound movement with 45-hour power reserve and 4Hz beat rate, is cased in 37mm by 11.4mm stainless steel with a 44.8mm lug-to-lug. The glass is a curved sapphire crystal with...

Introducing - Naoya Hida Presents its 2026 Collection, Incl. a Valjoux 23 Chronograph

It is no secret that Japan is becoming one of the most productive hubs for high-end independent watchmaking, with names such as Hajime Asaoka (also behind Kurono Tokyo and Takano), Jiro Katayama (Otsuka Lotec), Daizoh Makihara, and Norifumi Seki (Quiet Club) gaining incredible traction in recent years. Another name that cannot be forgotten is Naoya […]

Naoya Hida releases the Type 6A perpetual calendar, rivalling equivalent Patek Philippe models (at least in price)

Naoya Hida presents their most complicated watch yet, powered by a Habring and Dubois-Dépraz perpetual calendar calibre.The post Naoya Hida releases the Type 6A perpetual calendar, rivalling equivalent Patek Philippe models (at least in price) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Naoya Hida Unveils New Perpetual Calendar In 2025 Lineup

Naoya Hida & Co. Has Announced their 2025 Releases

Seeing a watch made by Naoya Hida & Co. in person for the first time was one of those moments when you truly realize that you have to experience a watch in the metal before casting judgement. At the time, the brand was only in its second full year, and most of the people commenting on the watches in online forums, Instagram, etc. were reacting to what they perceived as an exorbitant price tag. These specific watches, after all, used a (highly) modified Valjoux 7750 as the base movement – not exactly high horology. But when you handle one of these watches, wear it, and, importantly, turn the crown, you realize you’re dealing with an object that’s largely handmade, a fully fleshed out complete thought with a singular perspective. That’s a pretty rare thing, as are the hand carved dials that have become an aesthetic signature of the brand, and truly require magnification to fully grapple with. Naoya Hida & Co. has just unveiled their new slate of watches for 2025, and I imagine we’re heading for some of the same conversations we’ve heard before, but there’s a new watch in this crop of releases that should quiet at least some of the naysayers.  The marquee release in this year’s lineup is the NH Type 6A, Naoya Hida’s most complicated watch to date and their first perpetual calendar. The 6A is made in the same vintage inspired style as all of Naoya Hida’s other watches, evoking classic pieces by Patek Philippe and others (but mostly Patek, let’s be honest...

Introducing: Naoya Hida & Co. Releases Its First Perpetual Calendar With The Type 6

Collaborating with familiar industry names gives this rising indie brand its first calendar complication.

Introducing - Naoya Hida Presents the NH Type 6A, Its First Perpetual Calendar

It’s certainly not the first time we’re talking about Naoya Hida & Co., a niche, artisanal watchmaking company from Japan, but it’s always with great pleasure that I write these articles. NH is one of these hidden gems from the Land of the Rising Sun, a rather young company that focuses on high-end, classic designs […]

Naoya Hida × Revolution: The Story Behind the Type 3B-2 ‘Rising Star’

In Conversation With Adam Golden: Why Naoya Hida Is The Goat

Introducing: Naoya Hida's Watches For 2024, Including An All-New Type 5A, Two Gold Type 1D, And A Two-Tone Type 3B (Live Pics)

The watches are available only to lottery entrants starting May 13, so take a look while you still have time.

Naoya Hida 2024 releases play with shape, engraving, and semi-precious stone

Japanese independent Naoya Hida delves further into Art Deco inspiration and artisanal watchmaking with its 2024 releases.The post Naoya Hida 2024 releases play with shape, engraving, and semi-precious stone appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.