Independents

Kikuchi Nakagawa is a small independent Japanese brand that produces eight watches a year (that is 45 days per watch!). It produces three models currently - the Murakumo, the Ichimonji and the Genmon and on their website, a waiting time of 96 to 120 month...  

and perhaps many purists may prefer otherwise but for me it is the dial and case that matter more as these are what we see all the time when the watch is worn. I am attaching a photo of the movement which is hidden under the closed case back. ...  

which is why the movement cannot be seen on the closed case back Nico.

Given the waitlist, I'd expect a higher grade version of the movement, like the one Laine uses with 4 internal angles. Nevertheless, it's a stunning timepiece.

and it does resemble the Patek 5196P. But i think one reeds to handle the watch and see it in the flesh to appreciate it. One purist who saw it preferred it to the Smith Series 1. Another marvelled at the case and dial. But as they do say, beauty is in th... 

Quite interestingly, i had ordered a Laine with Breguet numerals and a guilloche centre dial with a hammered outer circle around the hours counter. When the Laine arrived in July, I placed both watches side by side and instantly decided to sell the Laine ...  

The Laine isn't up to par, not even close imo

The Laine though represents good value at more than half the price lower than the Murakumo! Same movement just a higher level of finishing in terms of extreme black polishing.

But I don't understand the waitlist. Does he have a second career and makes these watches as a hobby?

Kikuchi Nakagawa comprises Yusuke Kikuchi and Tomonari Nakagawa, Eight watches a year may sound like a very small number but again I cannot stress enough the work that has gone into the polishing of this watch. Does it make the watch better or more accura... 

It is quite understated but I call it discreetly elegant.

I can see why you like it so much . Like you said 10+ years waiting is just to much .

I will bring it with me one day when we meet again!

I love the black polish all around but not perfect without the black polished applied breguet numerals.

Thanks for your feedback!

I contemplated ordering o e but was quoted almost 8 years and I was shocked Watch aside , those hands are pure bliss and sublime The last photo paired with the RS1 made my heart skip beats Enjoy in the best of health

Coming from you a major collector means a lot. Yes the hands of the Murakumo are quite something even if compared with the Smith, Laurent Ferrier or Moritz Grossmann, all of whom make the best hands in my opinion. Put your name down if I were you because ... 

I never get bored looking at them

Do they go back to Japan? If they have such a backlog producing them, how can they service them?

by any good watch repairer. It uses a Vaucher VMF5401 automatic movement with a mini rotor used by Parmigiani and Laine among others. Nothing complex about it. The wait list by the way is now up to 12 years!

But wow!….that wait!

for any watch in the industry and is bordering on being quite absurd in my opinion.

I guess if you are a celeb or vip or something, the wait won’t be that long. I learned of this watch when seeing the Hodinkee video where Ed Sheeran and John Mayer talked about theirs, and I guess they didn’t need to wait that long for theirs.

and I am not a celebrity. The wait list was short until 2021 and it increased dramatically during the watch craze in 2022. I doubt that a celebrity would get the watch any quicker. This is a small Japanese set up and they produce only eight watches a year...