MINASE’s first elegance-themed watches are scheduled for commercial release.
2023年5月19日
#1. Garden of the FIVE WINDOWS
2024年9月9日MINASE’s first elegance-themed watches are scheduled for commercial release.
2023年5月19日#1. Garden of the FIVE WINDOWS
2024年9月9日#0. Watches that the Swiss are talking about
I first came across the name MINASE during my previous trip to Switzerland. Every time I visit Geneva, I like to travel by tram, as I enjoy those long tram rides through the historic cityscape, and that time was no exception. During one such ride across town I overheard two Swiss gentlemen passionately utter words like “handmade,” “Japan,” and “Minase watches,” in an apparent conversation about the brand of watches. It seemed they had just visited a specialty store where watch aficionados from all over Geneva gathered, and had examined some MINASE timepieces. At first, I thought they were chattering about a collection of watches that had just been released by some famous Japanese watch manufacturer but I soon realized I was wrong, as they described those watches as “like nothing we’ve ever seen” and “reminiscent of traditional Japanese swords,” with complete reverence.
It wasn’t until several years after that Swiss trip when I heard the name of the watch brand mentioned by someone for the second time. I happened to be in Akita, Japan, watching some local TV program. It was airing footage of a canyon in the region, where hot steam rose out of the rocks and permeated the valley. The narrator went on to talk about a watch factory, located further up river and deep in the mountains, in a community called Minase, where globally renowned watches were being made. It made me wonder if it was the same Minase those Swiss men had been talking about on the tram, so I checked the map and found that the place wasn’t far by car from Akita City where I was. So I decided to call the factory. The person on the other end of the line graciously said he could take me on a brief tour of the factory. I had to rely on the car’s sat-nav to get there, traveling past fewer and fewer traditional houses and rice paddies, through conifer forests, and finally reaching the factory.
The modest, sincere head of the factory showed me around its parts production lines that mostly produced parts of various complex shapes that I had never seen before. Although I had visited many Swiss watch factories, I had never seen anything like MINASE’s parts machining operations, where multiple parts were cut and polished like pieces of intricate puzzles. The factory manager told me it was all hand-polished and hand-made. When I expressed my concern that the work must be arduous and exhausting, he briefly confirmed it, and I gasped in awe. A voice inside my head was telling me that I had found a truly amazing place. Why didn’t I know about this place until now? While the typical image of traditional Japanese crafts is that of quiet diligence, the artisanship of MINASE is a mix of intricacy and passion. My curiosity grew as he explained why the company decided to create its unique brand of watches, and I realized I had to launch my own investigation into the secrets behind those watches.
That evening after my factory tour, the manager was kind enough to invite me to a serinabe (Japanese hot-pot) dinner, a local specialty, where there happened to be a pair of Swiss photographers who specialized in watches. They had been sent by some European firm to take photos of the MINASE factory and its watches. I had never heard of Swiss people traveling all the way to Japan just to take photos of local watches; usually it was the other way around. So I asked them directly what they thought of MINASE watches, and they responded with rave reviews with excitement in their eyes. They said that although it was just a job they had been hired to do, they felt like they were photographing fine art, rather than doing a commercial job. They thought that the glittering MINASE watches reflected the spirit of the Japanese, paying meticulous attention to perfect detail, whether visible or invisible to the human eye, analogous to how Buddha statues are masterfully created by Japanese sculptors. Those Swiss photographers were enjoying their second trip to Japan, enjoying the scenic landscape as much as the beautiful watches, and had lavish praise for the Japanese mentality. And we had met thanks to these special watches that are not produced by the Swiss but were nevertheless thrilling for them. This made me want to investigate what went into making MINASE watches, the watchmaker’s emotional drive, and their technological prowess.
This is an in-depth travelogue of Mr. K. Kawakami who specializes in writing reports on various factories.
He takes a look at the fundamental value of MINASE, with incisive insight and observation refined over the years, as a seasoned expert on the watch industry.
Writer : K. Kawakami
K. Kawakami is a professional writer specializing in exploring diverse factories, reporting on their unique manufacturing practices in Japan and around the world. He travels to the factories of many manufacturers that operate on the principle of perfection, including watches, electrical appliances, shoes, fashion items, buildings, foods, confections, and traditional crafts.