Minase Horizon with a rose gold PVD case on a rubber strap . Below : Divido , blue dial .
PRIDE AT WORK
THE MAN PICTURED HERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT MAKES MINASE SPECIAL .
I have absolutely no idea what the atmosphere is like at Seiko , Citizen or other Japanese companies , and I do not want to convey the notion that this is a Japan versus Europe thing . The bigger brands tend to have press junkets , where there is time to rehearse , plan and execute the same presentation that was given to the last group of journalists that came through . And fair enough , when you ’ re that big , and you have that many visitors , it ’ s sensible to work from a script . But the point I am making here is that at Minase I requested several different examples that bordered on full-blown presentations , pretty much on the spot , on the day of the tour , and they all were accommodated with no questions asked . No matter how complex or time consuming , the folks at Minase wanted to show what they could do . Not because the boss told them to , but because of the pride that they clearly take in their work .
This might not be the answer that you are expecting . It ’ s not made to be complex for the sake of complexity . The real reason is longevity . And just what does that mean ?
Well , let ’ s answer that question with another . What would you do if you bent / damaged the lug horn of your watch ? In most cases , the watch brand would offer to sell you an entirely new case , or simply shrug and give you the “ deal with it ” face .
It is clear that Minase felt that a watch shouldn ’ t be a potentially disposable item . It should be something for a lifetime , and the one way to ensure that was to create a watch that could be reconstructed piece by piece .
THE APPEAL
The Minase factory is not a shiny , Space Age , hermetically sealed facility . It is an open , lived-in workspace where real people make real things with their hands . Does Minase have the same public recognition as say Grand Seiko ? No – not yet . Minase is something that is appealing , but you can ’ t adequately describe or articulate what that something is . It is as much a feeling as a quality . And having spent some time at Minase and in Yuzawa , I can honestly say that while I can ’ t completely articulate or describe it , I can honestly say that I get it .
Full disclosure : James Henderson visited and wrote this article as an independent journalist . Following the original publication of his report on his blog “ Tempus Fugit ”, and prior to our publication date , he was asked to work for Minase as a consultant for their international markets and a representative for their North American distribution , a position he recently accepted .
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