Independents

Interview with Hajime Asaoka - Independent Watchmaker of Japan Many of you already know him or his work progress via Facebook and such. Here is the "real" Hajime Asaoka and I hope you enjoy this interview and many shots of his products and the process/ wo...  

Hi, thanks for sharing the experience with Hajime. Very unique movement with the giant balance :-) May i ask what is the MSRP like ? Did i miss it in the article somewhere? Apology if i do. Nice work Mr Hajime! Very impressive work by another independent ... 

... he may have updated his progress on FB, but not officially launched yet. MSRP is JPY2mm. But may change without notice. And he is not taking orders yet - busy with other projects for a few more months. Thanks! Ken

Thank you very much for this review, although I really like the watch, (in this case, for me I think Roman numerals who suit better on this dial! I find it odd, to say the least that a Japanese watch maker of High End watch could think that, from what I u... 

... it is the balance of "craftmanship" or rather "artisanship" and "accuracy, precision, as the time measuring instrument". Mr. Asaoka took the latter more seriously and decided whatever is NOT necessary should not be in the precision instruments while t... 

--- but can see the other side of the coin, even if it is invisible to us mortals - who can neither make, repair, not to say restore a watch from the legendary bye-gone eras. It would be wonderful if a thread were started on WatchTech about functional fin... 

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I have contacted the watchmaker a few times now. he does not seem to be ready to take orders. Love this watch-.

me loving that 16mm balance wheel and the numerals/ stamping. best z'

I think it came from his designer brain, not watchmaker brain :-) Thanks. Ken

Nice reading. Best of luck to him. Vte :)

I must confess that I was very seduced by its Tourbillon. But the lay-out of the big balance movement is really amazing: I hope to see them in the metal. Thanks a lot Ken! Fx ...  

Hi Ken, I was eagerly waiting for your report since you mentionned you were going to me him. He is the proof that getting back to basics in watchmaking helps to reach the top. This guy really has a true talent as he mixes thourough tehnical and aesthetics... 

.. he will surely be happy with your comments. He is really realistic, not only a dream chaser but also a true practical watchmaker. I will surely follow-up about him and let you all know. Thank you! Ken

I am impressed! The watch, from concept to execution, shows independence and creativity with some very fine details that really showcase the personality of the maker. The large balance wheel is to die for, as are the fine details in the case and the print... 

.. as a former audio buff, I thought they were Jeff Rawland... no? I would have recognized, as I used to own Burmester as well :-) Burmester surface is totally mirror finish, while Jeff Rawland surface has Geneve Stripes (get the drift?) But both are very... 

For an excellent report. I found the whole interview very informative. And very much liked the finished piece. There is a huge amount of work that goes into making his watches. Which I love to see. :)

I was thinking exactly the same way and I noticed many of the details you mentionned as I was reading the report ... There is order in what seems chaos. Cheers, Mark

i love the dial design. reminds a little of chopard luc mark iii, but obviously is different. and the fact that this guy is basically an autodidact who made is own equipment is truly amazing. a real artist in a real atelier. pls keep posting as more infor... 

Ken, what a great article! It was awesome when Mr. Asaoka knew your avatar! LOL! That cracked me up. His watches are utterly fascinating to me. I particularly want to see the model with the extra-large balance wheel. The movement layout is so intriguing a... 

Yes, he aims for "practical" yet "aesthetically beautiful" design. Practical side shows in the fact that he does not like decorating where people cannot see - not for lack of the effort, but for the practical reasons. He makes parts with new jigs each tim... 

Beautiful watches, and a supreme report, Ken. Thank you both!

You must see and handle to believe it :-) Superb design, concept and execution.... Best, Ken

interesting new independents coming onto the scene. I like this one quite a bit from both sides - the balance is obviously rather unique. Looking forward to following his progress. Thanks for the interview and the post. Darren

... will keep you updated. Ken

Mr. Hajime is different from other indenpendent watchmakers. I like his BIG balance wheel whcih fits beautifully in his sufficiently well polished movement. However, I think he needs to improve the print on the inner dial. Any idea on the power reserve of... 

Cant wait to see his creations in Wako when i visit. I sure hope the Ti balance version will be "affordable" when its finally released to the public. I am most amazed in that he also creates his own machines to make the different parts of the watches.

... for now, MSRP is set at JPY2mm, which may or may not change by the time of official launch. Looking forward to your visit! Ken

.. I thought, very well thought. I understand your point, but I think it is good enough.... :-) (usable) Power reserve is 40 hours. Thank you! Ken

As Magnus Bosse said, Mr Asaoka is special ! I wish him the best. Francois

I will let him know! Ken

I think there is a bit of Asaoka in all of us, I know I dream of doing something like that. That man has talent and devotion to his pieces. I know he will do very well.

... I will keep you updated! Thanks! Ken

Very interesting and informative read..Very cool.. Best Guillermo

Very inpressive ! Thanks Ken

..thank you for introducing us to Mr. Asaoka!

Thanks to your report, I have achieved new found respect for him. Excellent in depth interview and review mate. Apols for late response, was travelling Horo

I see that I missed a lot. I was only away for less than a week. How did we manage before the World Wide Web? :-) Thanks for the Interview and Report. I tend to agree with Asaoka-san about the raison d'etre of a watch is time keeping function and decorati... 

Thanks for the article. I enjoy it tremendously. I could almost hear myself calling it the Japanese "Simplicity". Amazing accomplishment. A few comments if I may. 1) The dial design and features are very beautiful. Much better and way less boring/bland th...