Kawatsura lacquerware
#3. Words from Mr. Hiroki Settsu
2024年9月26日
#5. State-of-the-art cutting tools: drills
2024年12月19日
Kawatsura lacquerware
#3. Words from Mr. Hiroki Settsu
2024年9月26日
#5. State-of-the-art cutting tools: drills
2024年12月19日

#4. HORIZON of the country where the sun rises

HORIZON of the country where the sun rises

The HORIZON surrounds the globe. The word evokes different images of landscapes depending on the topography and culture of each country. It could be the horizon of the Grand Canyon if you are in the U.S., or the horizon of the distant ocean seen in the west, where Magellan embarked on his journey. Along this line of thinking, the HORIZON model of MINASE watch conveys the sense of Japan as the land of the rising sun. If any native of Japan is asked by a person from another country what the word HORIZON represents, the answer will typically be that it is where the sun rises, conjuring up an image of sacred light rather than a pretty picture on a postcard.

HORIZON of the country where the sun rises

I once asked Mr. Suzuki, CEO of MINASE, about the genesis of the HORIZON watch model, and this is what he shared with me: HORIZON, along with two other models of MINASE watches, namely FIVE WINDOWS and DIVIDO, all used to be part of the HIZ series of watches. HIZ stands for hi izuru kuni (land of the rising sun), and the watches represented that essence of Japan. So these three models of MINASE watches were developed to create truly original artworks that only MINASE’s artisans could craft, and to express refined brilliance through the watches. Of the three models, the HORIZON was inspired by the horizon of the ocean from which sacred brilliance emerges.

HORIZON of the country where the sun rises

Indeed, when one sees an actual HORIZON watch for the first time, the best viewpoint from which to appreciate the watch’s esthetics is any of the four corners of its square case, where the stunning beauty of the sculpted arcs jumps out of the glass windows and the dial. It’s a gestalt of the morning sun rising up over the ocean’s horizon. Anyone who has worn many mechanical watches will be amazed at how low and thin the four corners of the case are, allowing the hands of the watch to be seen from underneath thanks to the watchmaker’s advanced grinding technology. The dial window used on the MINASE watch, with such steep curvature, is also like nothing else. Anyone with keen observation might discover that the case and the lugs of the watch are made of different parts, so that glossy and satin finishes can be achieved through different fine polishing processes, culminating in sacred brilliance.

HORIZON of the country where the sun rises
A famous German architect, one of the pioneers of 20th-century modern design, is quoted as having uttered the famous phrase “God is in the details.” This is not a novel way of thinking to Japanese people but merely reflects their conventional approach to physical creation that has been preserved and practiced since ancient times. One could say it’s part of the DNA embedded in their ethnicity that all products that have been created with scrupulous care—whether handmade crafts, rice grown in paddies, or vegetables cultivated in fields—might be inhabited by divine forces. Likewise, the sacred brilliance of every MINASE watch slowly but steadily emerges through the process of continuous polishing of its surfaces, in a state of flow where the artisan’s fingers and heart move in sync. The HORIZON is one of MINASE’s flagship models through which the watchmaker has strived to achieve deep brilliance in each timepiece. Of course, this obsession makes it impossible to mass-produce the watch.

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.

#3. Words from Mr. Hiroki Settsu
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