I have recently discovered a rather very interesting independent watch maker from Tokyo, Japan.
The watch maker, Hajime Asaoka is a self-taught watch maker, which impressed me by the watches and mechanisms made by him. Other than making watches, Mr. Hajime Asaoka is also a craftman, making works of arts, including furnitures.
Entirely unassisted and using his own machines, Hajime Asaoka has made two tourbillons and a chronometer. This former product designer and self-taught watchmaker now has his sights set on joining the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, better known as AHCI.
His first watch, the Hajime Asaoka Tourbillon 1
This high end watch took him 8 months to make, and to production. Yes, this beautiful and simple tourbillon movement was hand made by him with no assistants. The last piece was sold around $80k USD.
His second watch, the Tsunami 16, which I find it really interesting as it is using a 16mm balancing wheel made from titanium!
As you can see, the titanium balancing wheel is almost half as big as the 37mm watch. Another thing, the octopus wheel is very similar to the Patek Ref. 5016.
Mr. Hajime Asaoka himself with the Tsunami 16.
For his most recent creation, he worked with companies, Yuki and OSG that produces precision machining equipments and precision cutting tools.
The Project T tourbillon watch that is shown in Basel 2014.
This watch is a unique, precise watch, with simple designs and mechs.
Movement train of the Asaoka tourbillon. Note additional wheels labelled 4 and 5. In a classical Breguet styled tourbillon, the 3rd wheel drives the tourbillon carriage’s pinion, and the fifth wheel (escape wheel) engages the fixed 4th wheel.
In this tourbillon, the tourbillon carriage is driven as a wheel, with more teeth than a pinion. To provide the correct drive speed, two additional wheels are added, these are labelled 4 and 5. Note the 5th wheel now engages the tourbillon carriage wheel. The escape wheel is now re-desginated as the 7th wheel, and engages the stationary 6th wheel. Note also that the fifth wheel which is used to drive the tourbillon carriage runs on two ball bearings, of which one is visible on the dial side as the anchor for the right tourbillon bridge.
This watch retails at around $80k USD, too.
Conclusion, this man is the future of Japan watches, with his creations surpassing most Swiss watches.
What do you all think?
