The first article I wrote about Kurono Tokyo in 2022 on the brand’s Grand Mori line. Since then though, the brand has not really evolved or grown all that much beyond dial color changes, though every now and then it drops something pretty unique, by its own standards. That is just the case here, with the Special Projects Reserve de Marche, which introduces a new set of complications. Let’s get into it.
Design & Watch Specifications
Dressy, 316L Steel, 38mm x 45.6mm x 11.2mm, Stamped guilloche Clou de Paris center dial, Power reserve indicator at 10 o’clock, 24-hour indicator at 6 o’clock, Sapphire box crystal, closed embellished case back, 50m water resistant, 20mm lug width, 20/16mm calfskin strap.
The Special Projects line is a platform for Kurono Tokyo’s founder, Hajime Asaoka, to play around with different ideas and concepts away from the brand’s standard fare, and on the two new Reserve de Marches in cream and blue, he has brought something that is very differentiated from anything else the brand has done. Naturally, the focus is still on the dial, where guilloche is the center piece conceptually and literally. The dial comprises 3 main segments, with a special stamped Clou de Paris guilloche dial forming the center. Hajime Asaoka stated that this dial took over 3 years to prototype because it required the development of convex stamp, that allows for greater depth and definition on the guilloche pattern. While you cannot expect the sharpness and precision of a rose-turn engine engraved guilloche, the result is pretty good for what the watch costs. It also adds a level of elegance that the new watch wouldn’t have otherwise. Framing the guilloche dial is the minute track that on the blue version comes with Kanji hour markers while on the cream features Arabic numerals. The third segment of the dial is the minute track with applied rounded dots for 5-minute intervals. What’s brilliant about the dial, is the fact that each segment is divided by a thin guilloche track that draws even more attention to the depth of the dial created by the differing segment heights. There are two additional segments carved out on the dial, the power reserve at 10 o’clock (hence the name) and the 24-hour indicator at 6 o’clock, both of which form the deepest portions of the dial. On a slight tangent, I cannot fathom why a 24-hour indicator is ever necessary for a time-only watch, Seiko is guilty of these two. Are the wearers not able to look out the window or keep track of which 12-hour part of the day they are in? Surely this would have been better as a small-seconds dial, or an actual functional second timezone indicator. Tangent aside, the use of different heights across the dial makes for a very elegant-looking dial, that elevates it beyond a standard dressy watch. It is made even more impressive when you realise the whole thing was carved from a single piece. The dials are complete with leaf hour & sword-esque minute hands (heat blued on the cream, and steel on the blue) and dauphine hands on the power reserve and 24-hour indicators (another first for the brand. Personally, I am torn between the cream and the blue dials, since the heat-blued hands plus the classy cream color has always been a favorite of mine, though the Kanji numerals make the blue dial that much more special.
To accommodate the dial, and added complications on the watch, the case has been slightly upsized from the brand’s standard to 38mm x 45.6mm x 11.2mm. That said, these proportions are still really sleek, and might even be welcome by those who do not favor svelte watches all that much. Another much-welcome feature is the updated water resistance to 50m which makes the watch more usable day to day. One thing it does retain is the 20mm lug width and an elegant 4mm taper to 16mm which are proportions I am a big fan of. Even if you are not, that 20mm lug width is extremely versatile and switching things up should be a walk in the park.
Movement
NOS Citizen 9134PWT caliber modified by Kurono Tokyo, Automatic, 4Hz, 40-hour power reserve
The movement used in the Reserve de Marche is also unique to the brand, being a “NOS” Citizen 9134PWT that the brand has modified. The story goes that the brand purchased Citizen’s remaining stock of discontinued Caliber 9134PWT, and these movements are making an appearance in this Special Projects duo. The movements have been modified by Kurono Tokyo to exclude the date indicator apparently because Hajime Asaoka wanted a cleaner dial to show off the guilloche, though I see the immediate irony given the addition of two complications (one of which is for most intents and purposes useless). Another point to note is that most of Kurono Tokyo’s watches use Miyota movements and Miyota is owned by Citizen so the movement isn’t all that different though the story behind is still worth mentioning I guess.
Price & Availability
US$2,150 exc. VAT, Limited to low hundreds (exact number not disclosed), Available on 10/10/24
At US$2,150 (excluding VAT), the Special Projects Reserve de Marche is one of the pricier offerings from Kuron Tokyo save for its chronographs. That said, it also offers quite a bit more by way of dial finishing and complications (if you like these two), which makes the prices reasonable overall. There will not be many of these available so get in quick on 10 October if you want one. Also, kudos to the brand for only allowing one purchase (regardless of variant) each to minimize the presence of scalpers, though those are dwindling in the current watch market as well.
Concluding Thoughts
Like many of the earlier releases from Kurono, these new watches are extremely elegant. The new dials are pretty cool with the level of depth that has been incorporated in, something I appreciate more than the guilloche added. I do find the addition of especially the 24-hour indicator pretty pointless, though I guess it does add another sector for the brand to carve out to showcase its ability to create the depth that I mentioned earlier. I also find the inclusion of the heat blued hands and the Kanji numerals on different variants a great conundrum since I am a fan of both but can only buy one. All in all, a great pair to release to refresh things for a brand I personally have found to be getting a tad stale over the past year or so.
