New Yusai Dials From Minase

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

In their own words:

Divido - Falling Stars & Mirage

The dial is crafted from mother-of-pearl, enhanced by an intricate layering of pigments. The surface thus shifts depending on the light, at times suggesting the soft radiance of a nebula, those clouds of gas and dust in outer space, visible in the night sky, and at others, the serenity of a snowy landscape reflecting sunlights. In harmony with Divido’s faceted case, the dial has been conceived as a living canvas of light. This refined chromatic composition offers more than aesthetic pleasure: it invites contemplation.

Courtesy of Minase

5 Windows - Pluralist Garden

The dial is crafted with delicate layers of blue-green pigments and was inspired by the harmony of Japanese gardens. Yellow and blue tones mix perfectly with the green and remind the gentle waves of a pond. In Japan, windows are not only a practical way to bring light inside a room, they often offer a view on something beautiful outside like a garden, a mountain or a tree. This collection opens a poetic aperture between the inner and outer world, where craftsmanship and nature flows as one.

Courtesy of Minase

7 Windows - Otherwise than Being

The dial is painted with multiple layers of blue pigments, creating a sense of depth. The artist’s variation of the blue color was designed to evoke a feeling of suspension and weightlessness. The Seven Windows was the perfect model for this design with its ingenious case-in-case structure and three-dimensional indexes. Indeed, the dial seems to hover in space within the case.

About the artist -

Courtesy of Minase

Towa Takaya is a Japanese artist whose work bridges nature and material. She creates her own pigments from soil, plants, and other natural ingredients gathered during her travels. Her paintings pay tribute to nature, exploring delicate color spectrums and subtle gradations. Ms. Takaya explains: “The pieces I have created for Minase were inspired by Japan's unique craftsmanship culture and beautiful nature. I spent several months researching methods of expression to represent different aspects of nature.”

Happy 20th Anniversary Minase!!!

And to celebrate, Minase is offering a very special limited edition -

Courtesy of Minase

Courtesy of Minase

This special edition features a Yukihira Black Gradation dial on the popular Minase Seven Windows in a limited edition of 77 units, each individually numbered, and is available either on a bracelet or strap.

Courtesy of Minase

Per Minase -

The Watch

The Yukihira Black Gradation Dial is a limited release of 77 pieces. This exquisite model showcases the pinnacle of Japanese craftsmanship through a dial created via electroforming—an intricate process that captures a subtle Yukihira pattern and finishes it with a deep black gradation that reveals hints of purple under shifting light. The dial ring is finished in ion-plated black, with the drill mark—Minase’s signature—polished to a brilliant silver shine with the sallaz finishing technique. The iconic case, with its 7 sapphire glass windows, offers a 360° view of the dial and movement.

Celebrating Japan

Since its creation in 2005, Minase has had two goals: creating timepieces that will still be revered a century from now and paying tribute to their home country’s rich heritage, culture and crafts. With a deep respect for traditional techniques and an unrelenting drive to innovate, the brand has developed and mastered signature elements such as the case-in-case structure or the sallaz polishing technique, earning global recognition across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Courtesy of Minase

Birthday Gifts

Every purchase includes a limited-edition leather watch case, and all the watches ordered before the end of September will come with a silver bracelet showcasing Minase’s polishing artistry. With its rich history, uncompromising values, and unyielding pursuit of beauty and precision, Minase continues to prove that small-scale Japanese craftsmanship can resonate powerfully on the global stage—20 years strong and just getting started.

Courtesy of Minase

Here are the pertinents -

Case:

Stainless steel 316L. Dual spherical box type sapphire crystal (with multi layers non-reflective coating) on the top, see through case back and 5 sapphire windows at 12', 3' (2), 6’ and 9'. Water resistant up to 50 meters (5 Bar).

Dimensions and Weight:

38 x 47 mm. Thickness : 13 mm. 160 g.

Movement:

Swiss ETA based components (2892A2) high end execution with hand-finished surfaces with perlage, bridges and main plate in black “or”. Blue screws. Bridges with diamond polished bevels. Customized Minase rotor. ETACHRON regulator system. MPS lubrication-free bearings. Very high precision TOP range execution. 50 hours’ power reserve. 21 Jewels. Frequency 28’800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)

Dial:

Copper base, electro-formed and lacquered in black with hints of purple.

Functions:

Hours, minutes and central second hands. Date at 4.

Hands:

Polished steel, minute and second bent at the tip, luminous material on hours’ and minutes’

Strap:

Stainless Steel 316L or Calf leather, hand-sewed at the Minase factory in Japan.

The New Ice Blue Uruga

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

This new dial version is available is several sizes, and with a steel bracelet (above), rubber or leather strap.

For those of you just tuning in, here is some background on Minase -

https://www.henkitime.com/2018/03/a-grand-day-out-visiting-minase-factory.html

https://www.henkitime.com/2018/03/a-grand-day-out-part-2-minase.html

https://www.henkitime.com/2018/03/a-grand-day-out-minase-3.html

The current price of the Uruga is priced at $6,600 and ships directly from Minase International. 

Minase's Windows Collections Get a Dial Upgrade

This is the latest from my favorite Japanese brand, Minase -

 

Courtesy of Minase

The Windows collection has been expanded to include these new dial designs in the Yukihira design pattern.

Per Minase -

The YUKIHIRA pattern, as it now appears on the dials, originates from a hammering process. It reflects light beautifully and creates a sense of depth and shadow. It is enhanced by the beautiful indexes and case, treated with Minase’s exclusive handmade sallaz polishing.

Courtesy of Minase

Specifications

Case: 

Stainless Steel 316L or 18K rose gold

Dial: 

Copper, electroformed and lacquered in blue, ice blue, green or white

Dimensions: 

38 x 47 mm. Thickness: 13 mm.

Movement: 

Swiss ETA 2892. Hand-finished surfaces with perlage, blue screws, bridges with diamond polished bevels and a main plate and bridges in black or. MPS lubrication-free bearings, ETACHRON regular system, Top-range execution. 21 Jewels. Frequency 28’800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz), 50 hours power reserve.

Hands: 

Polished steel, minute and second bent at the tip, luminous material on hours and

minutes

Functions: 

Hours, minutes and central second hands.

Bracelet: 

Stainless steel 316L or hand-made genuine black or brown leather band

The Uruga 42 mm

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

This is the latest collection from my favorite people in Akita-Ken!

The Uruga takes its name from the abbreviation of two words: Uruwashii, meaning beauty; and Myabi (pronounced "ga") which means elegance. 

Courtesy of Minase

The dials bear a new pattern, adding an enhanced sense of depth. The Uruga is available in three colorways: green, grey (above) and blue -

Courtesy of Minase

Available with either an in-house produced leather strap, or a stainless steel bracelet.

Here are the pertinents -

Case

316L stainless steel. Curved sapphire crystal on top with multiple layers of non-reflective coating, see though sapphire case back on bottom. Water resistant to 50 meters (5 ATM). 

42 x 48mm, thickness: 10.2mm. Weight: 160 g / 86 g  

Movement 

KT/7002 (base ETA 2892) and KT/8001/2 (base ETA 2671) customized by MINASE with hand-made polishing and « perlage » on plates and bridges. Minase customized rotor. 

Dial 

Embossed pattern in blue, grey, green. Asymmetrical applied indices. 

Functions 

Hours, minutes and central second hands. 

Date at 3. 

Bracelet 

Genuine leather strap manufactured by hand at Minase factory. 

Stainless steel bracelet. 

Deployant clasp. 

MSRP 

From $ 4400 on leather strap 

From $5650 on bracelet 

Available direct from Minase -

https://minasewatches.com/webshop

The COFFEE ARABICA LIMITED EDITION

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

Soooo Drip!  

This unique series of 10 pieces was created to celebrate the new partnership between Minase and 10tenLabs®.  10tenLabs® is the new distribution partner for Minase in the Mid-East region. And if you were planning on laying hands to one?  Sorry, this one sold out faster than Duran Duran tickets in 1984 ; )

For those lucky enough to have secured one for themselves?  Hang onto it!

Some Urushi Goodness

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

As previously mentioned, I worked for Minase to help bring them to North America. As of the turn of the year, I am no longer an official team member, but absolutely an unofficial brand evangelist! And therefore, after nearly 2 years, I can put on my enthusiast's hat and write from the heart.

The Divido is a huge favorite, particularly in North America. In many ways it sums up the thesis behind Minase's watches, extremely well executed design combined with painstakingly extensive hand finishing. And as with the other dials (particularly the blue/purple), the Urushi dial is the crowning touch to an already impressive time machine. And as much as the blue/purple dialed Divido was a rare find, the Urushi dialed Divido is a true unicorn, selling out in the blink of an eye. 

But don't worry, the folks in Akita-ken are hard at work to make some more! For now the replenishment pieces are available for pre-order.

Here are the pertinents -

Model : Divido Deep Blue Urushi Silver Maki-e dial

Case : Stainless steel 316L. Domed box type sapphire crystal (non reflective coating) on top, see-through sapphire case back. Water resistant up to 50 meters (5 Bar).

Dimensions : 40.5 mm. Thickness : 12,0 mm.

Lug to lug: 48 mm

Weight total : 150 g.

Movement : KT7001/1, power reserve 38 hours, Swiss ebauches, customized by MINASE with hand-made polishing and « perlage » on plates and bridges. Minase customized rotor, treated in black or.

Face : Deep blue, Urushi sprinkled in silver Maki-e

Hands : polished, luminous material on hours’ and minutes’

Functions : Hours, minutes and central second hands. Date at 3.

Bracelet : 316L stainless steel with deployment buckle. MORE concept.

Happy Bourdain Day

For those of you unaware, today (June 25th) is now known as Bourdain Day.  A day to celebrate life and the wonderful experiences we've had out in the bigger world, in memory of a great liver of life, Anthony Bourdain.

Courtesy of CNN

The watch world is, for me at least, the ultimate roller coaster.  And not unlike the professional kitchens that I grew up in, it is full of layers and sub-cultures.  In the 4th and 5th Estate the same stratification exists.  And just as there are writers who represent more the ethos of Eric Ripert and José Andrés, such as Gregory Pons, the world of watch journalism also has its share of Guy Fieri and Rachel Ray types who are more interested in their own self-promotion.  Needless to say, we are not taking any horological trips to "Flavor Town" today ; )

So in the spirit of Bourdain Day and the importance of celebrating the hidden gems in the world of watches, I wanted to re-heat my visit to Minase.  This is Day 1 -

Courtesy of Minase

Inevitably, this is a story that is going to be personal.  As I've mentioned before, Japan was in many ways where my adult life began.  And it was 25 years ago that I first packed my bag and headed to Tokyo.  I will be 50 in July, so as you can imagine, this was a bit of "Bringing It All Back Home".

I left right after work on Friday night and took the subway out to Logan and caught my flight.  Ironically enough, it was via Swiss taking me first to Zurich, then connecting on to Tokyo (thank you for the very good deal on the airfare SWISS!).  And it made for some interesting conversations:

"What do you do?"

"I write about watches."

"Oh, that makes sense that you're going to Switzerland."

"Actually, I am on my way to Japan."

"Oh, so you're visiting Seiko!"

"No."

"G-Shock?"

"No, I am visiting Minase, in Akita."

(insert puzzled expression here). 

So not to put things off, but I think it is important to get an idea of just where Minase is located.
  
どこ
(doko) = where?

Now while there are administrative offices in Chiba-ken (essentially the suburbs of Tokyo), the factory itself is a bit of a commute ; )

Shinkansen (that's bullet train to you)

After arriving at Narita airport (important travel tip, Narita is technically not in Tokyo, but in Chiba prefecture.  Sort of like Newark airport for New York).  From Narita you have a few options for getting into the city (ideally Tokyo station) so that you can then catch the first thing smoking (or in this case, humming) up north to Akita-ken.

Courtesy of Google

Now although the Shinkansen is fast, it is not "time travel" fast.  Generally, about 4 hours or so, give or take.  

And once you get to Akita station?  Well, you have about an hour's drive.  

What I'm getting at here, is that it would have been EASY for Minase to set-up shop in the Tokyo (or really any other big city such as Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima) suburbs.  But there were two very good reasons to put their factory (technically factories, but more on that later) in Akita.  The first one is obvious.  When Minase was created, the government was giving very strong encouragement and favorable terms to open businesses and create jobs in the area where Minase creates their watches - Yuzawa -

Downtown Yuzawa

But the second one is something that you can't really understand until you spend some time with the team at Minase - 和
And just what is 和 (that's wa to you)?  Well this is challenging because literally translated, 和 means "Sum".  But when we take into consideration Japanese culture, and more importantly, company culture it can take on the meaning of "harmony".  So when I take these two definitions together, I tend to think that it means that harmony exists, and it is a positive thing for everyone involved.  When you visit the place where Minase makes their watches, you are pretty quickly aware of the differences between the "tone" or atmosphere of the place when compared to some of the factories you might encounter in Switzerland and Germany.  More on this as we go on, but suffice it to say, it is pleasantly different.  You will not hear shouting, you will not see pouting.  You get the very strong impression that everyone, from the person just starting out, to the long serving managers, are there because they actually want to be.  

  
Visit a Swiss watch factory and it's a 50/50 proposition that the watch maker will let you observe them, let alone photograph and ask questions about what they do.  At Minase?  They are eager and enthusiastic about what they do, how they do it, and perhaps most telling - why they do it.

Building A Better Mousetrap
Interesting to relate, Minase did not start out as a watch manufacturer.  Minase started out as a company that made cases and other components (OEM) for other Japanese companies.  But it actually started even earlier.  Because before they did that, they were known (and the other half of the company still is known) as Kyowa.  And just what does Kyowa make?  

Kyowa makes tools, specifically cutting tools.  Kyowa was founded in 1963 by Koichi Suzuki, the father of the current president, Tsuyoshi Suzuki -

Courtesy of Kyowa

The Kyowa side of the business is a REALLY impressive operation, and still going strong. 

And it is from this tool manufacturing that Minase really began.
From tool maker to OEM manufacturer, to a stand alone brand.
So we have a little background, stay tuned, I promise that the next installment will  have very high watch content ; )

7 Days with the Minase Divido

So a quick point, although I announced the start of the 7 day review of this watch in Part 3 of my Minase visit report -

A Grand Day Out - Minase 3

The review actually started last Tuesday, February 27th.

Courtesy of Minase

So it is time to sum up and wrap up what it has been like to wear the Minase Divido for one week.  I was given the watch at the factory, and then had it sized in Tokyo.  And a big "Arigato Gozaimasu" goes out to Ysuyoshi Hoshino who was kind enough to hustle over from the Minase HQ in Kashiwa, Chiba-Ken to Tokyo to do the adjusting!  Needless to say, I think Seiko would have said "take it to a watch maker" ; )

As you may recall, I was first introduced to this particular Divido the day before during the tour of the Minase factory.  It was, as you see above, somewhat disassembled.  

This was to enable one of Minase's watch makers the opportunity to demonstrate the how the pieces fit together, and to give some visual understanding about why some of the design choices were made.

Minase started out in the watch business doing OEM work, making cases and bracelets for some other more well-known brands.  And in the process of doing this, decided that they could perhaps build a better watch themselves.  The case of the Divido is unique, but also somewhat traditional.  It is the only piece in the current Minase collection that is round.

The case is a very balanced, very sensible 40.5 mm in diameter.  It is round, but with lugs that extend out slightly to create a bit of depth and structure (both visibly and physically).  

The size was perfect for me, with the lug horns just reaching the edge of my wrist.  

The case is the beneficiary of Minase's incomparable Sallaz polishing technique.  The results speak for themselves.

The watch is water resistant to 5 ATM or 50 meters.  This is achieved without a screw down crown or a more traditional case design.  

So as you can see from the exploded view of the Divido, you will note that the case contains several elements that help comprise what Minase refers to as their "case within a case".  You will notice from the bottom piece to the top there are several layers, or "stages" of the watch.  

The bottom of the watch is pretty straight forward.  It acts both as the case back and the "anchor" to the "interior case" with comprises the movement, the dial, and the index ring.  This achieves a great level of depth and creates a very interesting visual effect.  Essentially, the center of the watch almost "floating" in the "outer case".

This is a little easier to conceptualize with a light glowing through the case back -

The watch is very legible owing in no small part to the "layering effect" that is achieved through the case in case concept.  Another important note - while you can see the light from the phone glowing through the back, this is not a watch that utilizes lume with the exception of a small bit on the hands. 

Yes, that is me with a flashlight in my mouth

And I think I get this.  This is a watch to be worn and admired in normal light conditions.  And in fairness, there are plenty of watches that eschew lume completely.  But I also know that a lot of watch collectors are very, very partial to lume and will only buy a watch with heavy amounts on the dial.  And fair enough.  For the record, I personally have found no shortcomings from this, but if copious lume is a deal breaker for you, this might not be for you.

The one thing that I thought I would be put off with was the "open" date window showing the date as well as yesterday and tomorrow.  But the date for today lines up perfectly both with the arrow and the 3 o'clock marker.  It was a pleasure to look at the watch, and it was always easy to get the date and time with a glance.  The only challenge was my wandering eye admiring the case within case and the deep blue of the dial.

This is the inner case on the bench, so not locked in and 100% aligned, but it gives you a sense of the depth and hence, the legibility of the watch face.  The outer chapter ring is a stand-alone stainless steel piece that provides the hour indications.  

Courtesy of Minase

 So again, this sets Minase apart.  It would be easy to simply slap a dial in there, but the goal was to create something unique and special.  Just to give you an idea, here are the constituent parts that help make up the whole of the inner case of the Divido -

Oh, and it bears mentioning - all of those seemingly unimportant parts that you might not be able to see 100%?

Sallaz polishing.  While a few better known brands might simply use Sallaz polishing for their cases, Minase feels that every part that is potentially visible and is important. 

Courtesy of Minase

I have appropriated a photo from Minase to show the crown in better detail that what I was able to manage...

as you can see ; )  On the plus side, this does help highlight the floating effect of the case in case design.  The crown is sort of a hybrid of those found on a traditional big crown pilot watch.  The crown itself is tactile and solid, engages smoothly in all positions.  Now without crown guards, it appears to sit out a bit more prominently than it actually does.  Having said that, it is out there and can snag on sweaters, etc. as any other prominent crown could do.

I am borrowing a shot I took at the factory of the same model, but with a rubber strap (i.e. easier to photograph).

Minase refers to the movement as the KT 7001.  Look closely and you will see Swiss Made on the rotor.  This is not anything that Minase is trying to hide.  When deciding what movement to use, Minase didn't dwell on keeping it 100% down-home 日本 (Japan).  They start with a Swiss ebauche from the folks at ETA (2824-2) in this model, and then put their touch on it -

In terms of timekeeping, it was flawless.  No noticeable deviations.  I had asked about this, a Swiss movement in an otherwise Japanese watch (one that in many ways is more Japanese than some other bigger operations who do a lot of their manufacturing "off shore", and the answer was simple.  They wanted the best.  Minase's case has a very complex design and assembly.  And this was not done just for the sake of complexity.  It was (and continues to be) done in the interest of longevity.  Even the lug pieces can be replaced in a Minase watch.  So the belief is that the best, most reliable movement available should be used to ensure that it will be solid right out of the gate, and will be able to be serviced well into the future.

The bracelet is perhaps the most impressive that I have encountered in a watch at this price point.  

The links are tight, but very movable when the watch is worn, ensuring a very comfortable fit on the wrist.

The bracelet is secured with a twin button clasp, but it is not a butterfly on the underside, but rather a single side.  This is what creates the slight gap between the bracelet end and the clasp.  

This is not evident when worn normally (i.e. watch face up) but when the watch is face down with the wrist and clasp "sunny side up", the natural pull of the watch downwards accentuates the space.  This is also a very clever design choice because it allows for the free movement of that section of the bracelet ensuring that the actual link piece can move, not pinch.

The bracelet was incredibly comfortable and did not pull on my very hairy wrist.  Because the bracelet uses alternating sized links, the fit and feel of the bracelet is quite good.

Also interesting to relate, there are no visible screw heads or pin and collars on the side of the bracelet as you would see in other bracelets -

The links are removed by removing the screws on the underside of the links themselves.  This is not intended to be a "do-it-yourself" touch, but rather a more elegant solution.  Minase would strongly encourage you (assuming that you are not a trained watch maker) to have the bracelet adjusted by a trained watch maker.

Overall, this is a very, very impressive watch.

But this is where we get to the question - is this the watch for you?

Minase is not now, (nor do I expect it ever will be) a manufacturer of the size and scale of Seiko.  And frankly, I do not get the impression that they ever want to be.  So the first question you have to ask yourself - do you identify with the brand, or the watch?  Then secondly, if you do identify with the brand, what type of brand do you appreciate - is it a massive commercial concern, or is it a small, local concern staffed by local craftspeople who have been apprenticed by the company from a young age?

If we are simply talking about performance, I would put the Divido up against anything from Grand Seiko, or frankly just about anything else at its price point.

If we are talking about the emotional content, the stuff that hits you with a visceral gut bomb?   The intangible stuff that makes you feel things without you necessarily understanding why?  Well, then the Minase Divido ticks those boxes as well.

When you consider brands like GoS, ochs und junior, Sarpaneva and other esoteric brands that still manage to captivate us?  That's about more than just a watch, and a financial calculation.  That is about passion, about feeling, about romance.  And the Divido well and truly belongs in that category.

Should you buy the Divido?  I have to be honest, it is not for everyone.  Not everyone will "get" the design philosophy.  Not everyone will feel safe buying a relatively unknown, small production, (let's face it) micro brand.  Some purists will not be able to get their heads around a Japanese watch with a Swiss ebauche.  Well, fair enough.  Some people like vanilla ice cream...

And some of us like pistachio ; )

But in all seriousness, this is not a watch for everyone.  Minase is not design by committee for the masses.  And that's okay.  On a personal note, I will be very, very sorry to see it go back to Japan.  It has been a real joy to wear.

Here are the pertinents, straight from Minase -

Specs:

Case

Stainless steel 316L. Domed box type sapphire crystal (non reflective coating), flat sapphire crystal on the back.

Water resistant up to 50 meters (5 ATM).
Diameter - 40.5 mm. Thickness: 12.0 mm. Weight: 100 / 150 g.

Movement
KT 7001/1 by MINASE with hand-made polishing and "perlage" on plates and bridges.

Dial 

"Case in Case" structure: the essential feature of HiZ concept and exclusive development where individual components are assembled to become a 3- dimensional dial. Together with the movement and the hands, this structure
becomes an independent entity assembled inside the case.

Functions
Hours, minutes and central second hands. Date at 4.
 

Strap
Rubber (EPDM) with stainless steel deployment clasp or in a solid stainless steel execution featuring MORE concept. The patented design feature individual links that are screwed individually instead of the traditional pin-system

Clasp
Deployment buckle with steel side pushers.