Top 6 Japanese watch brands in luxury segment
Japanese watch brands are known for providing great value for money – good watches that are affordable. One might wonder which are the best Japanese watchmakers in terms of price-performance ratio.
But today we are turning the tables.
Imagine that money is not an issue.
The first thing you could buy would be a Swiss luxury watch. Boring...
Let's say you're interested in Japanese culture. A Japanese luxury watch would be just the thing for you, right? But which Japanese luxury watch brands are the best?
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
1. Grand Seiko
Seiko isn't exactly synonymous with luxury. However, don't confuse Seiko with Grand Seiko. Even though they share the Seiko name, there are many differences between Seiko and Grand Seiko.
Grand Seiko was founded in 1960 with the goal of producing the best mechanical watches in all of Japan and has since become an independent brand.
From the beginning, the quality of Grand Seiko watches has been outstanding. In terms of quality, they are just as good or even better than their Swiss counterparts. However, they couldn't push Swiss luxury watches off the Japanese market. This is because, when compared to, for example, Rolex, Grand Seiko lacks prestige. You can see a comparison of Grand Seiko and Rolex here.
The design of Grand Seiko watches is very simple. The cases of the watches are almost exclusively available in stainless steel and are also very simple in their basic form, but the dials are all the more fancy. What do you think, is the simple design with the fancy dials, one of the strengths of Grand Seiko, or does it lack exclusivity because of the simplicity?
Grand Seiko watches cost between €3,000 and €10,000 (and more), which makes them quite suitable as entry-level models in the watch world.
Would you like a more extravagant watch brand?- Surprisingly, we stay in the house of Seiko for this one.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
2. Credor
Credor is derived from the French term "Crête d'Or," which translates to "most precious gold."
The subsidiary of Seiko was founded in 1974 and produces mainly watches made of precious metals.
Credor's collection offers some exciting complications, such as a tourbillon.
The first watch with a tourbillon was the "Fugaku Tourbillon." A partially skeletonized watch with a very unique dial. The bezel, set with blue sapphires, also makes a clear statement. With Seiko's first tourbillon, Credor leaves no doubt that they create the most exclusive watches from the Seiko family. With an original price of around 400,000 €, it is also quite expensive. The edition is limited to 8 pieces, which are, of course, all already sold.
All Credor watches are handmade at the Micro Artists Studio in Shiojiri.
If you can call a Credor your own, you should consider yourself lucky. Credor watches are very hard to come by and little is known about the collection.
By the way, there are also "cheaper" models, ranging from 5 to 20 thousand euros.
If you want to buy a watch from Credo, you should also look around on the second-hand market. Besides the availability, you can save a lot of money in some cases.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
3. Naoya Hida & Co.
Away from Seiko and towards even more exclusivity.
The small-series watches produced by Naoya Hida are so rare that at the moment, you can't even get on the waiting list.
Founder Naoya Hida is a veteran of the Japanese watch industry who, among other things, helped Swiss watchmakers establish their distribution channels in Japan.
Then in 2018 Naoya Hida founded his own watch brand. His team consists of a few, but very experienced watchmakers who produce beautiful watches using the latest technology.
The collection is retro style, and looks very elegant. All models are limited, usually to 20 pieces or less.
Surprisingly, the watches are not overpriced. At around 2.8 million yen, which is about €20,000, they are very expensive but still within reach.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
4. Hajime Asaoke
When it comes to luxury watches from Japan, especially for connoisseurs, the watches of Hajime Asaoke can not be missed.
He gained worldwide recognition with his first watch, which he launched in 2007.
The watch had a tourbillon, which is one of the most difficult complications of mechanical movements. Hajime Asaoke had made the unique piece himself and by hand in his atelier.
After the successful launch of his eponymous watch brand "Hajime Asaoke", he began to expand his model line. Soon he expanded his range to 4 models.
2 tourbillon watches, a skeletonized watch with a chronograph, and a somewhat simpler watch.
The watches are in such demand that it is almost impossible to buy one that is new. The reason for this is also the small number of pieces that Asaoke makes each year. With his small team, he had made just 6 watches in 2020, which of course were all sold out in advance.
The movements of Asaoke have a peculiarity, the balance wheel of the mechanical movement has a diameter of 15 mm, which is comparatively gigantic. This is intended to improve the accuracy of the watch.
Fun Fact: Hajime Asaoke does not own any of his watches himself. Since he only produces a handful of watches each year, he doesn't want to withhold a single watch from the customer. Therefore, he lives without one of his own watches.
But there is also good news, because Hajime Asaoke has launched another brand that makes more affordable watches.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
5. Kurono Tokio
With the goal of making his watches accessible to everyone, Hajime Asaoke founded the Japanese watch brand "Kurono Tokyo".
With a price tag of around €5,000, Kurono Tokyo watches are in high demand. For a small, independent watch manufacturer, the prices are comparatively low.
Despite the higher availability are at the time, are almost at any time all models completely sold out.
The design of the watches is rather simple and traditional Japanese, matching the dial is inscribed with Japanese characters.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
6. Masahiro Kikuno
We reach the top when it comes to exclusivity.
How many times have you heard of a one-man business making watches?
Masahiro Kikuno designs the watches himself, manufactures almost all components by hand and also assembles the watches himself. This makes him one of the few in the world who have mastered every step of the process from A to Z.
The design of the watches is rather special, but the craftsmanship that went into it is all the more remarkable for that.
Describing the craftsmanship is difficult, but we found a short video on his website that we highly recommend. Here is a link to the video.
I don't think we even need to talk about the price and availability here, because the watches are neither cheap nor available.
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Conclusion
Admittedly, we were surprised ourselves at how much the watch industry from Japan has to offer.
Even if the big brands like Rolex and Co. arouse enthusiasm in us, nothing beats the craftsmanship that goes into the watches.
Japanese watch brands are known for exactly this craft.
Just imagine someone putting all their passion into a watch, working on it for months, and in the end you get this masterpiece.
Compared to a Rolex running off the production line, something quite different.
But yes, there we are dreaming again ...
Which of the above watch brands is your favorite?
Source cover photo: Masahiro Kikuno, updated post
About the author
Maio Rosatzin
My passion began with a Breitling Premier B01. Since then, I've been sharing my fascination for watchmaking here on my blog. Let's dive into this fascinating world together!
