“The charm of Kyoto's classic design to the world..”
We have been talking about it in recent weeks, here is a presentation of KUOE Kyoto , the very young 100% Japanese brand inspired by vintage watches.
Uchirama, the founder of the brand, discovered his passion for watches when he visited a vintage watch shop in London in the 2010s. One brand in particular: Smith. Fascinated by these very classic models but full of stories, he had the idea of creating his own brand of watches with a classic design.
Japan, like Switzerland, remains one of the world's leading manufacturers of quartz and mechanical watches. The young Japanese, Uchimura, will therefore learn the ropes in Kyoto, in a small watchmaking company. The former capital of Japan, Kyoto is strongly imbued with Japanese culture and traditions. He gains experience in the field and learns more about watches, until he is ready to launch a sub-brand dedicated to his idea of introducing the classic design he had seen in London antiques into new models of wristwatches.
It was in 2020 that Uchimura saw his dream come true with the launch of his very first model: the Old Smith 90-001.
The Old Smith 90-001 is a range of dress watches with small seconds at 6 o'clock, quartz movement and 100% Japanese manufacturing, they feature a Seiko VD78A caliber.
Recognizable by its leather strap and its 35mm diameter gold case, it will be discreet under the sleeve of a shirt thanks to its 10mm thickness. In addition, different color variations exist, whether it is black, brown or orange leather straps or a white, black or green dial for the most daring.
The Old Smith 90-002, on the other hand, recreates a period design and reminds us of British military watches from the 1940s to the 1970s. The case is made of polished stainless steel, which adds elegance to the rustic look. Still in 35mm, it is mechanical and features a Seiko NH35 caliber. The dials are worked here, giving a fantastic look to the watch. Like this model with the brown textured dial:
On a nato or steel “rice grain” strap , the no-date with an ivory-colored dial has a special charm that you won’t forget…