Why this Japanese watchmaker takes up to one year to make a single timepiece
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Remarkable Living
Why this Japanese watchmaker takes up to one yr to brand a single timepiece
Contained watchmaker Masahiro Kikuno makes each of his wristwatches almost entirely past manus, and by himself. His dedication and passion to his arts and crafts is why his exquisite creations can price upwards of US$45,000.
7 years agone, at the historic period of thirty, Masahiro Kikuno became the youngest member of the Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants (AHCI), an exclusive and prestigious clan of elite contained watchmakers. (Photo: Threesixzero Productions)
15 January 2022 06:30AM (Updated: xvi Aug 2022 02:20PM)
Working out of his domicile studio in Matsudo city, in Nihon's Chiba prefecture, Masahiro Kikuno devotes all his time to arts and crafts upward to two watches a year. That'southward a full of under 20 watches in his brusk tenure equally an independent watchmaker. Not the virtually economical style to work, just the artisan wouldn't take it any other way.
"I enjoy that only i person is responsible for the unabridged process. Anyone with a craftsman's DNA will love to make things by manus," said Kikuno.
Largely inspired by the craftsmen of Nihon'southward Edo menstruation (1603 to 1868 CE), Kikuno'due south creations adhere to the traditional techniques of production, using only a few manually-operated machines.
"Watches are not unremarkably fabricated past just i person. I think there are only a few watches that have been made by a single craftsman. At that place are even fewer watches made using old-fashioned machines and manual techniques. I call up that is what'south unique virtually my watches," he shared.
All his masterpieces are intrinsically Japanese in their beauty and function, and are reflective of his grapheme and passion for history.
"There are many things even the Japanese don't know about, [such every bit] the history and civilization of making ancient clocks. I promise to use these techniques and showcase them on an international platform to let people know well-nigh our culture through time," he expressed.
His passion for mechanical timepieces started way dorsum from when he enrolled himself in Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry in Shibuya, which taught the fundamentals of picket repair. Rather than learning to design timepieces, Kikuno developed a amend understanding of the intricate mechanisms that make a clock tick. It was there that he produced his starting time timepiece – a time-only wristwatch with retrograde brandish.
Not long after, he made his first tourbillon wristwatch in 2010. But, it was his modernistic reinvention of the traditional Wadokei that took the globe by storm in 2011. The Wadokei is an ancient mechanical clock made in the 19th century that was designed to adjust time according to the seasons.
"There were no advanced machines back and so, merely the craftsmen were able to make such impressive clocks. I thought I'd exist able to do the same, and challenge myself to do as much as possible with the existing tools," he explained.
Part of the Wadokei's alluring beauty is the intricate wood-grained patterns on the watch confront – a feature oftentimes seen on swords in 17th century Japan.
"Creating this was really difficult but beautiful. While I was trying to make everything by hand, I noticed that the process was really enjoyable. I savor rolling the handle, trimming the metals into meaningful pieces and watching everything being built from scratch," he enthused.
A twelvemonth after that, at just thirty, he became the youngest member of the Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants (AHCI), an exclusive and prestigious clan of aristocracy contained watchmakers. This esteemed honour is a nod to Kikuno'south amazing talent, because his abilities were primarily self-taught. "Without rigorous practice, you can't develop your skills," he reminded us.
To requite the customer a closer expect into the creation of each piece, Kikuno documents the process from get-go to stop in a journal, and gifts it to the customer along with the final production.
"I hope that people tin can feel my passion and philosophy when they read my 'Making Of' volume."
Adapted from the series Remarkable Living (Season 3). Watch total episodes on CNA, every Sunday at 8.30pm.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/remarkableliving/japanese-watchmaker-masahiro-kikuno-246771
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