KUOE Old Smith 90-002 No-Date, Automatic NH38 Movement, Black, Replacement Belt Included, sliver, ミディアム

Product Information

While their minimalistic divers share similar traits to most other divers in the watch world, their chronographs look unbelievably unique, breaking rules and going beyond your expectations.

It was there, in that shop, that Uchimura found the strong appeal of classic design. Deeply influenced by this experience, Uchimara was inspired to create a classic design watch brand of his own, with the belief that something that is truly classic will be loved and revered universally around the world and across generations. Japan is well known for their amazing craftsmanship in almost all areas, and the watch world makes no exception. Japanese watchmakers instill into their watch collections the same values that Japan’s culture instilled into its people a long, long time ago. There are a few well known Japanese brands that produce watches for the mass market, like Casio, Seiko, and Citizen, but these aren’t the only ones. Citizen So now we have that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the specs and details… The Royal Smith 90-008 CaseEquipped with a Seiko quartz movement, the KUOE OLD SMITH / 90-001 watch is available with a choice of bar index dial or Arabic index dial. Their prices also reflect the excellent craftsmanship, meaning that you won’t find anything in their collection priced below a few thousand dollars. The indirect drive seconds hand of the Miyota movement was disconcerting at first, but I've gotten used to it: it "stutters" when the watch is shaken, but that doesn't affect accuracy. The rotor is also noisier than I'm used to, and the sound it makes when the watch is shaken can be a little disconcerting as well. As I expected, the movement is "settling in" and now runs about -3 spd; still quite good so no complaint there. If you do hand-wind the watch, the action is smooth as silk. I've worn it three times now during hard rowing-machine workouts and that, at least, hasn't phased it. This premium model is equipped with the automatic movement Caliber 9039 made by CITIZEN MIYOTA. Made of 316L stainless steel, the watch has the same dimensions of the brand’s 1st model “OLD SMITH / 90-001”. Topped with a domed mineral glass, the dial adopts a sharp bar index, and it has a simple, stylish and very luxurious appearance. The case is really nothing to get too hyped about. Polished all over. Branded crown. Big vintage-style dome. The small dimensions and curved lugs mean it’ll be at home on all but the largest wrists (which may make it look a bit too dainty). While my wheelhouse is definitely 38mm-42mm, I find a certain charm in watches smaller than that, which adds a bit to the wearing experience. Although not remarkable, there’s also nothing to complain about here. And it lets the dial do all the talking.

Their collections are large and diverse, with a big focus on the vintage and the classiness that watches of the past boasted. They tend to be more conservative than other well established brands, but they do have their particularities, the little details that Orient fans are always expecting from their watches. The brand started from the idea of blending the future with the past, an idea reflected in their name, which is composed from mirai (future) and kako (past).He went on to develop an in-house tourbillon in four years. If that’s not an impressive feat, we don’t know what is. Two things often suffer when we start dealing with more affordable watches. The first is case finishing. The second is lume. And the Kuoe Old Smith is no exception to this rule. When I asked, I was only told the lume is Swiss and “SO-2.” I’ve never heard of that but based on the results, we aren’t dealing with a Super-LumiNova equivalent here. Indulge me, though: the lume is about as bright as one might expect on the vintage watches from which the Kuoe takes its inspiration–so maybe it’s intentional! (It’s probably not.)

Japan is one of those countries that has risen to challenge the status-quo of the watchmaking industry, bringing some incredibly good mechanical timepieces to life recently. The Japanese watchmakers have started producing some of the best watches the world has ever seen, and not only that, but they’ve covered all price categories as well. KUOE is a Japanese watch brand founded by designer Uchimura in 2020. The brand’s classic styled wristwatches take inspiration from the antique hand-wound watches from the 1940’s to 70’s era, made in England. The first model from the brand, the Old Smith 90-001 was launched in April 2020. Presently, the brand offers four collections: Old Smith 90-001, Old Smith 90-002, Royal Smith/90-004 and Holborn. Should they succeed or not remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to observe their journey. As for their present timepieces, there’s only two, both sharing a beauty and traits that characterized the watches of the 1950s. Most Japanese watch brands strive to keep things local as much as possible, helping the local economy through using local materials or employing specific craftsmen from the respective area. Knot follows the same idea of keeping things in Japan, but without focusing on one specific area. Citizen is another one of the big four watch brands of Japan, a watchmaking powerhouse the world knows so well. The probably less known thing about them is their philosophy that every citizen of the world deserves to wear a high quality watch on their wrist, which is what the brand’s name stands for.There is the possibility to add a ‘sapphire’ crystal which is a nice (but expensive) option, additionally there is a leather strap and a steel bracelet also available. Grand Seiko watches include some of the greatest marvels of the mechanical watch world, and are certified with a standard of precision that exceeds even the Swiss COSC in its strictness. The company was created by Yusuke Kikuchi, architect, and Tomonari Nakagawa, swordsmith. Both studied the art of watchmaking in France. They try to connect the entire country in their watchmaking process, using materials from several regions and a wide variety of crafts and specialists. The result is that their watch designs are inspired by the entirety of Japan as a country and culture, without being limited to a specific region. I have long had a liking for watches with a military orientation or provenance. Think CWC, Smiths, Hamilton, IWC, Timor etc…