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 Horizon GEN DLC

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

This is the latest offering from one of my all-time favorite watch brands. Right about now in Akita-ken, I suspect the locals are shoveling the snow off of their roofs, and enjoying massive amounts of chanko nabe -

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide info-web

But all that shoveling and eating hasn't stopped the folks at Minase from putting together something extra special!

Courtesy of Minase

The case is of stainless steel with a black DLC finish. It measures 38 x 51 mm, and is 12 mm thick. It weighs in at 160 grams.

Under the hood is the ETA 2892A2, with a customized rotor. The functions are hours, minutes, seconds, and date.

This is a limited series of 25 pieces and is available to order now through Minase International. It is priced very fairly at CHF 4'700.

Here are all the pertinents, straight from the source -

Case:

Stainless steel 316L plated with black DLC. 

Dimensions - 38 x 51 mm. Thickness : 12,0 mm. 160 g.

Dual spherical box type sapphire crystal (non reflective coating), see-through case back. 

Water resistant up to 50 meters (5 Bar).

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:

Steel with PVD cover in Black, Blue or Grey, polished steel indexes

Functions:

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

Hands:

Polished, luminous material on hours’ and minutes’ hands.

Strap and Buckle:

Rubber (EPDM) strap with stainless steel deployment clasp and side pushers.

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 Divido Blood Orange Limited Edition

From Minase and 10tenLabs -

Courtesy of Minase

This drop is limited to 10 pieces only, so if this is in your wheelhouse, you'd better lively-up yourself!

Courtesy of Minase

Here are all the pertinents, straight from the source:

Divido is Minase’s flagship model. After the success of the first limited edition the "Arabica Coffea" back in April 2021, 10tenLabs® decided to create its second limited edition based upon the same collection.

The Divido Blood Orange Edition is a unique timepiece created with a great attention to details and featuring a unique dial color. The dial is a thin plate of hammered copper finished with a distinctive hand- painted Japanese lacquerware technique. It was decided to add a unique touch of Japanese artistry through showcasing Minase’s “Kanji” above 6 O’clock. For this edition, 10tenLabs® decided to choose a bright color, a color that fits perfectly with the autumnal season. With the Divido Blood Orange Limited Edition, Minase and 10tenLabs® sought to bring together typical elements of both cultures; the emblematic fruit of the Mediterranean region and the impressive work of Japanese craftsmanship.

The watch is powered by Minase regular Swiss automatic movement in high-end execution with hand- finished surfaces and perlage. Plated in black "or", Minase new customized rotor is elegantly decorated with tiny versions of the Minase logo.

This 10 pieces edition was rapidly sold out upon its launch to leading watch aficionados within the 10tenLabs® collectors community.

The Divido 2.0

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

Yes, it might look familiar, but it is even better than before!

The new 2.0 has received a notable upgrade under the hood -

Courtesy of Minase

Per Minase -

A New Movement

Minase’s new KT7002 is a Swiss made movement based on ETA 2892/A2 ebauches. This high- end execution displays hand-finished surfaces with perlage, blue screws, bridges with diamond polished bevels and a main plate and bridges in black “or”. With 50 hours’ power reserve, Minase’s KT7002 movement offers some 12 more hours of autonomy than the previous movement.

Here are the pertinents -

CHF 5,400.00

Prices are exclusive of VAT, which will be added to the above price according to the shipping address at checkout.

Model : 14-M01GBL-SSB

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 : 40.6 mm. Thickness : 11.0 mm.

Weight total : 134 g.

Lug to lug: 48.7 mm

Movement : KT7002 based on ETA 2892 ébauches, power reserve 38 hours, customized by MINASE with hand-made polishing and "perlage" on plates and bridges.

Face : Polished steel indexes with luminous material

Hands : Polished, luminous material 

Functions : Hours, minutes and central seconds, date at 3 o'clock.

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

You can check out all the new flavors for the Divido 2.0 at the Minase International site -

Minase Divido 2.0

Why I Bought It - My Opinion Is Fact: Rowing Blazers

A few Henki factoids:

1.  I lived in Japan for 3 plus years, and in that time bought several SWATCHES, and first automatic watch (a Rado Golden Horse at a Tachikawa pawn shop).

2. Nearly 25 years later I returned to Japan to do a story on Minase and ended up acquiring one of those.

3. Later that same year I returned YET AGAIN to Japan to do a G-SHOCK tour and came home with a pretty swell G-SHOCK MTG-B1000.

4. Since launching Tempus Fugit I have done pretty much everything short of stripping naked and sprinting through the hallways of Seiko North America screaming I LOVE SEIKO (a sight that would have been far less repugnant in my younger, thinner days when I resided in Kasukabe and Hachioji during the early 90s) and have YET to receive any type of response from their PR and marketing offices.

After 11 years of unsuccessful attempts to engage with the gatekeepers of Seiko North America's "fortress of solitude", I have accepted that unrequited love sometimes must, by necessity, remain so. But then I thought to myself - "Henki, you can still love a watch even if the brand does not return that affection." 

I was recently presented with the opportunity to purchase a brand new, in-the-plastic (and tin) Rowing Blazers x Seiko 5 Sports Artillery Zig Zag Watch. And needless to say, gentle reader, I jumped on it. 

This past weekend I was at the Watches, Whiskey and Wine show in Hagerstown, Maryland and was pretty amazed at the number of people who found their way to this big/small town near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. Visitors came from as far away as North Dakota, Texas, Indiana, Ohio and New York City. That, in and of itself, amazed me. 

I may, in fact, be jaded. It is possible that I've been doing this too long and perhaps what I needed was a "reboot" of sorts. And this past weekend was that.

What was great was was meeting some of the younger folks who came to the show to cover it. There were some of the usual characters, but I met two or three that gave me real hope for the next group of "recorders of passion" coming up. There was no boasting, no false swagger. Honest, earnest and sincere guys and gals who just simply loved watches and liked writing, videoing and podcasting about them. 

So there is hope for the future ; )

But back to today's topic:

My opinion is fact - The Seiko RB Artillery Zig-Zag is the best Seiko 5 released in recent history. If I am honest, I cannot claim to be the end-all authority of anything. Where I might have said, "hey, just do the Zig-Zag, that's the essence of Rowing Blazers. Make that one first and see how it goes". But the group behind this Rowing Blazers/Seiko mash-up clearly had a different take, set the bar higher at a series of 3 watches, and sold them all in fairly short order. And that is why they are the toast of Seiko aficionados and cognoscenti around the world, and this is also why I am writing about it.

I am a Rowing Blazers fan. I do not necessarily love everything that they do, but I can say that there is something for nearly everyone. Rowing Blazers has sold me 4 blazers, 2 rugby shirts, one sweater and counting! And for me, of the three Seikos they released, this was my runaway favorite.

I suspect I will probably mount the croquet stripe strap (which is the shit that killed Elvis) and save the bracelet for later.

So coming from a somewhat jaded and crusty fellow who enjoyed a reboot and reminder about what is great about this slightly sick passion that we all enjoy, to loosely quote that other great commentator on the watch business, Barry Hearn - Remember why you got involved in the first place.

Enjoy your watches!

More Urushi Goodness

From Minase -

Courtesy of Minase

You may remember the blue Urushi, but the folks in Akitia-ken weren't done!  They dropped a green (above) and red (below) version as well.  As an FYI, per the Minase International website, there are only 2 left.

Courtesy of Minase

Here are the pertinents -

Prices are excluding of VAT, which will be added to the above price according to the shipping address at checkout.

Model: Divido 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.

Movemen: KT7001/1, power reserve 38 hours, Swiss ebauche, customized by MINASE with hand-made polishing and "perlage" on plates and bridges. Minase customized rotor.

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

Hands: polished, luminous material on hour and minute markers

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

Bracelet: Synthetic rubber band or 316L Stainless Steel bracelet with Steel deployment buckle.

CHF 5,350

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.

District Time! Washington DC's Watch Show

Now point of full-disclosure, I do work with or represent a few of the brands that will be participating in District Time next Saturday and Sunday.

What brands will be there?

Attra
AVeritas
Ardor & Forge
Balticus
Bertucci 
Boldr
Caliper
Collins
Direnzo
EMG
Gavox
Groupo Gamma
Hager
Hemel
HKED
ISOfrane
Kingsbury 
Lesablier
McDowell Time
Minase
Minuteman
Nodus
NTH
Ocean Crawler
Origin
Patton
Raketa
Roebuck
Sartory Billard
Siduna
Straton
Traska
Tsao Baltimore


And quite a few others!

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 ; )