Hajime Asaoka's modern Japanese watchmaking - limited Grand series with lacquer dials, sells out in minutes
Kurono Tokyo blends Art Deco geometric rigor with Japanese restraint, creating watches that embody wabi-sabi (imperfect beauty) and shibui (subtle elegance). Founded by AHCI-member Hajime Asaoka, the brand democratizes independent watchmaking through meticulous hand-finished dials and classical design language that honors tradition while remaining accessible.
Signature$2,500 (retail)
Kurono's first chronograph with 38mm column-wheel movement, Art Deco dial design, and integrated pulsometer. GPHG 2020 Chronograph category nominee.
Signature$1,790 (retail)
First anniversary edition with scintillating metallic green sunburst dial hand-picked by Hajime Asaoka. Limited to 288 pieces. GPHG 2020 Challenge nominee.
Signature$1,738 (retail)
Second anniversary edition inspired by the Japanese crested ibis, featuring a metallic coral sunburst dial that shifts from crimson to vermillion.
Signature$2,500 (retail)
First artisan-level Grand series timepiece with urushi dial featuring Hamon blade pattern and traditional Niiro patination technique. Colors evolve over time.
$2,200 (retail)
First world-time complication designed for the globetrotting executive. True GMT with bidirectional rotating bezel. GPHG 2023 Challenge category finalist.
$1,500 (retail)
The original Kurono release in three dial variants (Midnight Blue, Mystic Grey, Eggshell White). 37mm case with Miyota 90S5 movement. The foundation of Kurono's design language.
🇩🇪 DE · $1,500-$10,000
NOMOS Glashutte draws heavily from the Bauhaus movement and Deutscher Werkbund traditions, championing 'form follows function,' minimalism, and geometric simplicity. The brand produces timepieces that emphasize legibility, efficiency, and unadorned elegance, stripping away superfluous details to highlight essential functionality while maintaining exceptional craftsmanship.
🇬🇧 GB · $350-$650
Uniform Wares creates watches that embody character and distinction through intelligent design, not branding. Firmly rooted in British design heritage and inspired by mid-century factory clocks, each timepiece balances contemporary styling with utilitarian functionality. The brand believes in practical permanence, creating products with longevity in mind.
🇨🇭 CH · $5,000-$20,000+
Radical simplification in watchmaking: form follows function through extreme reduction of mechanical parts. Ludwig Oechslin creates the simplest possible solutions because fewer parts mean fewer interactions and higher reliability. The approach rejects decorative finishing in favor of functional aesthetics, celebrating machining marks rather than hiding them.
🇯🇵 JP · $20-$70
Kakimori celebrates the joy of writing ('We write with joy') through thoughtfully crafted stationery that transforms everyday writing into an immersive ritual. Rooted in Tokyo's Kuramae shitamachi district, the brand honors local craftsmanship while blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern minimalist design. Their products are designed for long-lasting use and personal expression, embodying the Japanese spirit of 'monozukuri' (the art of making things).
🇮🇹 IT · $600-$1,200
Unimatic creates watches that embody 'less is more' - stripping away unnecessary decoration to reveal functional, tool-oriented timepieces. Founded by two industrial designers from Milan, the brand draws inspiration from classic dive watches of the 1950s (Blancpain, Rolex, Omega) but eliminates ornamentation in favor of stark, purposeful clarity. Their ideal is the paper clip: nothing unnecessary, perfectly functional, built to last generations.
🇺🇸 US · $600-$1,500
Autodromo blends mid-century vintage character with contemporary minimalist sensibility, creating automotive-inspired timepieces that evoke the golden age of motorsport. Founder Bradley Price approaches design like a filmmaker, creating atmosphere and nostalgia rather than direct historical copies, filtering racing heritage through personal memories and emotional connections.