Ahead of "Watch Collectors Week," which will be held from Wednesday, July 5th to Tuesday, July 18th, ISETAN MEN'S net editor-in-chief Seki spoke with watch buyer Shota Ueno.


In the second part, we will focus on noteworthy models of "good watches" from Japan and abroad, selected from Isetan's perspective on "fine watchmaking."

"Design with Sensibility": Innovation in Watches

The first timepieces we'll look at focus on "design." Wristwatches, with their physically small size, have the function of "reading the time," making it difficult to expand the range of designs. Displaying the time without using the common two-hand or three-hand layout requires complex gear arrangement design and the development of mechanisms to maintain precision. Watches resulting from such research combine innovative and unique designs with ease of use.

A regulator with improved visibility through "design".

1. RESSENCE Type 1 Slim

Seki: The design of the dial has clearly changed.

Ueno: Ressence's "Type 1 Slim" is a so-called "regulator" watch, which displays hours, minutes, and seconds independently. The designer is originally a product designer and not a watch specialist, which is why it has such an innovative design.

Seki: These hands are all printed. The whole dial rotates, right?


Ueno: Because the hands aren't floating, the crystal can touch the dial right up to the edge, so there's no space between the glass and the dial, and no shadows or light reflections. As a result, it has the advantage of being easy to read. Furthermore, this watch doesn't have a crown on the side of the case.

Seki: This is a mechanical watch, right? Even if it's automatic winding, how do you adjust the time?

Ueno: By raising the lever on the back of the case like this, you can wind the watch and adjust the time.


Seki: I've never seen specifications like this before.

Ueno: With mechanical watches, moving the hands doesn't require much force, but rotating the dial plate itself requires a certain amount of driving force. The fact that this watch is meticulously crafted to overcome those challenges is one of its appealing features.

Seki: I've rarely seen a watch with such a unique design yet made with such meticulous attention to detail.

A face design that is also supported by industry professionals from other companies.

2. KUDOKE/Kudoke Kudoke 1

Ueno: This "Kudoke 1" also features a design that emphasizes balance.

Seki: It's very simple, but when you wear it on your wrist, you feel a very comfortable balance.

Ueno: The dial has no numbers or prominent indices, only a second hand at the 9 o'clock position and a simple logo at the 3 o'clock position, leaving a lot of white space. By making the crown at the 3 o'clock position large, the perceived weight is distributed.

Seki: You can see the attention to detail in the design of the hands as well.


Ueno: It's a small German manufacturer, and originally the internal components were made by other companies, but this "Kudoke 1" is their first model with an in-house movement. It was developed based on an old British pocket watch that Mr. Kudoke owned.

Seki: So, he's a watch enthusiast himself, isn't he? Looking at the back, you can see that each part has intricate decorations, showing that it's been handcrafted.


Ueno: Just as it's said that no two watches are exactly alike, you can see a strong emphasis on aesthetics in their designs.

Seki: The fact that the outside is simple but the inside is elaborate is reminiscent of the Japanese aesthetic sense that focuses on the lining of kimonos.

Ergonomic design for improved comfort and visibility.

Ergonomic design in a wristwatch involves considering the case shape and index markings to ensure a comfortable fit on the wrist and easy time reading when the face is tilted. From the perspective of "fine watchmaking," what is valued is how these various design considerations are seamlessly integrated into everyday life without the wearer even noticing them.

A blissful wearing experience achieved through advanced technology.

3. Citizen Eco-Drive One

Seki: I know this thin watch. It's a Citizen, right?

Ueno: Citizen created the "Eco-Drive One" in pursuit of "ultimate wearing comfort." It became a huge topic of conversation when it was launched in 2016.


Seki: I remember it. The visual of the ultra-thin case shown from the side was innovative and impactful.

Ueno: The case is about 3.9 mm thick, but the mechanism inside is only about 1 mm thick.

Seki: This level of technical skill is amazing.

Ueno: At one point, watch manufacturers all over the world started developing thin watches, but they all gave up because it was too expensive. Now, Citizen is the only one that has been able to achieve this level of thinness.

Seki: It's easy to see why Japan's technological capabilities are so highly regarded around the world.

Ueno: The fact that it uses solar energy and doesn't require battery replacement is also attracting attention.

Seki: That's exactly the kind of feature that's needed in today's world.

Ueno: The glass surface has a special coating, so visibility is excellent. Please try wearing it on your wrist.


Seki: It feels like it's sticking to my hand, or rather, it's clinging to it.

Ueno: The case diameter is smaller than before, which is said to make it a good balance for Japanese people with slender wrists, and it's also recommended for women.

Seki: It's also great that it doesn't rub against the cuff of your shirt. With thick cases, the cuff can get in the way, making it difficult to fasten or causing snags. Having a watch rub against your sleeve can become stressful without you even realizing it.

Ueno: It's stress-free, requires no battery changes, and is maintenance-free. Plus, it's genderless and popular with women, so I think it's a watch that's perfectly suited to today's times.

A 36mm watch that embodies the passion of a watch enthusiast.

4. WEMPE Ironwalker 36

Ueno: Wempe is a watch specialty store located in Hamburg, Germany, and it is an original brand developed in-house.

Seki: Watches supervised by specialty stores are very interesting.


Ueno: This is a high-quality watch that Wempe has created through years of experience and a keen aesthetic sense.

Seki: The appearance is so simple that it doesn't give any sense of the complexity inside.

Ueno: The design is based on the ironworkers who worked on skyscrapers in New York in the 1920s. It has a somewhat classic feel to it, doesn't it?

Seki: It seems like it would go well with both formal and casual outfits, and the design is timeless and can be used for a long time.


Ueno: We've incorporated the meticulous craftsmanship of a luxury sports watch down to the smallest details, such as changing the polishing method for the joints and surfaces of the bracelet. The 36mm case doesn't feel small because it has a crown guard.

Seki: They feel great to wear, and they have a very luxurious feel. And they're only in the 400,000 yen range?

Ueno: This is a masterpiece created by a highly skilled specialty store. They've thoroughly researched the best aspects of luxury sports watches from around the world, so if someone else made it, it would probably cost around 1 million yen.

Seki: I'm really drawn to this watch. Even though it's not an expensive brand-name watch, the design and functionality really make you feel like you're getting a "good watch."

A "high-performance" watch that embodies the pinnacle of Japanese watchmaking technology.

"Fine Watchmaking" emphasizes both design and functionality. In particular, it highlights the high-performance watchmaking technology of Japan. By setting even stricter accuracy measurement standards than overseas manufacturers and continuously refining their techniques to meet these standards, Japanese watchmakers are now highly regarded worldwide.

This year's limited edition model is inspired by an "urban oasis."

5. Grand Seiko Heritage Collection

Ueno: Every year at Watch Collectors Week, Grand Seiko unveils an exclusively at Isetan Shinjuku Store . This year, I chose a model with the Spring Drive mechanism. Spring Drive is a hybrid of mechanical and quartz movement. It uses a mainspring for power, but the regulating mechanism is powered by quartz, resulting in significantly better accuracy.

Seki: What are the key points of the exclusively at Isetan Shinjuku Store model?

Ueno: This dial features an organic, stamped pattern with a grayish-green color. Green dials are a recent trend, but this one is inspired by nature in the city. For example, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The power reserve hand is also green.


Seki: The size is also small, isn't it?

Ueno: I chose the 40mm case from the Heritage Collection. I aimed for a design that wasn't too sweet overall.

Seki: There's a certain charm to the movement of the needle.

Ueno: In the case of quartz watches, the hands move in a step motion, skipping every second, while mechanical watches move in a beat motion, dividing each second into small increments. Spring Drive watches, however, have a unique movement called a sweep motion, which is neither of those.


Seki: It has plenty of appeal as a product created by human hands. Even among Grand Seiko's Spring Drive models, this one has a special feel to it.

Ueno: The limited edition model sells out every year. It's likely to be very popular again this year. It's scheduled to be released in November, and we'll start taking pre-orders from July 12th.


[Event information starting July 12th (Wed) is here!]
►Grand Seiko's "2023 exclusively at Isetan Shinjuku Store model," representing an urban oasis, will also be released! Pop-up event "MAKE NEW. Grand Seiko" will be held.

Japanese technology makes portable space power a reality.

6. Campanola Cosmo Sign (AO1030-09L)

Ueno: Campanola's astronomical watch displays all the constellations in the sky at 35 degrees north latitude. It features 452 stars of magnitude 4 or brighter, and 119 nebulae and star clusters such as Andromeda and Orion.

Seki: This is a portable planetarium, isn't it?


Ueno: Several manufacturers produce astronomical clocks, but because the mechanisms are very complex, they tend to be large. Campanola has managed to achieve this with a size of 39mm.

Seki: Is the technology to make it that small perhaps made in Japan?

Ueno: Yes, actually, Campanola is a Citizen brand. I think it's incredibly difficult to accurately represent all these elements in this space. It will appeal to watch mechanism enthusiasts, but it's also highly regarded by space and astronomy enthusiasts, as well as those interested in spirituality. It has many female fans too.

Seki: It's fun just to look at it, isn't it? Somehow, it gives me a grander sense of romance than reading the time.

Ueno: In this day and age, everyone can read the time on their smartphone, so it's nice to have a watch like this, isn't it?

Seki: It's wonderful that you're at the top even in a niche market. I hope you can deliver this to users who understand it.

So that everyone can enjoy a "good watch"

Seki: Many people consider buying a watch to mark milestones in their lives, such as entrance ceremonies, graduations, starting a new job, or promotions, and there was a huge variety of designs and functions to choose from. Plus, Mr. Ueno doesn't use much difficult jargon, so his explanations are very easy to understand (laughs).

Ueno: Our sales staff also make an effort to explain things in easy-to-understand language, avoiding technical jargon as much as possible. It would be a real shame if someone who's just starting to get interested in watches missed the opportunity to find a "good watch" because they were only faced with difficult technical terms.


Seki: Not all customers are knowledgeable about watches, right? It's very helpful to be taught the basics of watches, and I'd like to hear more, so I thought I'd go and visit the watch department.

Ueno: For customers who have previously felt that the watch section is intimidating, we would like to encourage you to come and chat with us without any pressure. We have many staff members with extensive knowledge of watches, so we can talk to people who consider themselves watch enthusiasts about everything from the intricacies of old watches to the latest models. We hope you will come and enjoy Watch Collectors Week, which is something everyone can enjoy.

►Click here for a list of articles from "Watch Collectors Week"

Text: Yasuyuki Ikeda
Photograph: Tatsuya Ozawa (Studio Mug)

＊All prices include tax.
＊The information in this article is current as of the time of publication. Product information may be revised or changed without notice.