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Hajime Asaoka’s watches bring two contrasting design ideas into focus: the exposed mechanical architecture of his 2017 skeletonized Chronograph and the restrained Art Deco form of the Tsunami. Fratello Watches’ October 31, 2021 feature by Thor Svaboe presents both as expressions of Asaoka’s distinctive visual language, while its specifications and prices should be read as historical reporting—not as current catalog information.
How Asaoka came to independent watchmaking
Svaboe’s 2021 profile says Asaoka studied product design at Tokyo University of the Arts and began working as an independent watchmaker in 2005. Four years later, he developed an in-house tourbillon. The article describes him as self-taught in watchmaking, learning from George Daniels’s book, YouTube tutorials, and machinery he bought on eBay. These biographical details are reported by the feature and are not independently corroborated here.
Svaboe captures the unusual route in his own narration: “Learning from the George Daniels book and Youtube tutorials with machines bought from eBay, even with the well-known Japanese self-discipline Asaoka-san’s story is rather impressive.” That is the writer’s assessment, not a statement by Asaoka. Read Svaboe’s October 31, 2021 profile in Fratello Watches.
The 2017 skeletonized Chronograph: movement on display
The feature calls the Chronograph the fifth official timepiece from Asaoka’s workshop. It reports a case diameter of 37–38 mm and describes an open-worked dial that makes the watch’s mechanical layout part of its visual identity. The movement’s column wheel is visible, as is a large, 15 mm free-sprung balance wheel running at 18,000 vibrations per hour, according to the 2021 article.
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Svaboe notes a vertically brushed steel mainplate, a broad balance bridge, visible brass gears, blued hands, steel chapter rings, and black lacquered bridges around the registers. The partially unfilled dial leaves parts of this construction exposed; the article treats that as visually suggestive but does not give Asaoka’s own explanation for the design.
The Tsunami: Art Deco restraint with vivid accents
In contrast to the Chronograph’s exposed mechanism, the Tsunami 001 is presented as a 37 mm, made-to-order Art Deco watch. The feature describes its dial as dark, with red accents, and highlights a large marker at 12 o’clock, small seconds, and a domed dial finished with multiple layers of lacquer.
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Svaboe describes the Tsunami 002 as more audacious: its bi-color dial adds blue and red details to the formal design. He calls it “the perfect example of the quiet yet still exuberant style of Hajime Asaoka”—a subjective judgment by the author, rather than an independent industry verdict.
How the two watches differ
| Design axis | Skeletonized Chronograph | Tsunami 001/002 |
|---|---|---|
| Dial presentation | Open-worked, with mechanical components exposed around the registers. | Composed Art Deco layout; the 001 is described with a dark dial and red accents, while the 002 has a bi-color dial with blue and red detailing. |
| Reported case diameter | 37–38 mm, according to Svaboe’s 2021 feature. | 37 mm for the Tsunami 001, according to the same feature. |
| Movement experience | Visible column wheel, brass gears, broad balance bridge, and 15 mm free-sprung balance wheel; the article reports a rate of 18,000 vph. | The feature draws attention to visible finishing and a large balance wheel, while emphasizing the dial’s lacquer and formal design. |
The contrast is not simply between a complicated watch and a dress watch: it is between two ways of making craft legible. The Chronograph puts mechanical architecture forward; the Tsunami makes the dial’s proportions, surface, and restrained color the first impression, with movement details still part of the experience.
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What the reported prices do—and do not—tell you
Svaboe’s 2021 article gives ¥12 million as the Chronograph’s price at creation and $30,000 for the Tsunami. These are historical figures reported by that article, not current offers, confirmed market values, or a basis for comparing present-day availability. The feature does not establish current prices, production status, service arrangements, waitlists, or purchase channels.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Asaoka’s wider design reach
The profile says Asaoka created the Kurono brand as a more accessible expression of his design language. It does not establish Kurono’s current models, pricing, or availability, so the point is best understood as context for the relationship between his independent work and a broader design expression—not as a buying guide.
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- Movement: Japan MIYOTA 8215 Mechanical Automatic Movement, Automatic winding, second stop device, 40 hours of energy storage, quite accurate.
- Sapphire Mirror: The watch mirror is made of sapphire glass, which is Hard texture and less prone to scratches.
- Fashion watch: This Pilot watch is made of Stainless steel Lassa craft case, genuine leather strap, which not only ensures the comfort of the wrist, but also can easily match your clothes. Fits wrists from approximately 152mm to approximately 228mm.
- Waterproof & Luminous: The Aviator watch is water resistant to 50 methers, It can support daily hand washing, car washing, rain and other water contact sports. Luminous hands and markers, It can see the time in dark place or at night.
- As a gift: watches are suitable for outdoor sports such as running, sports, fishing, dating, new year, christmas, thanksgiving, hollywood, wedding, anniversary, birthday, graduation, father's day, birthday party, corporate events.
Readers interested in the craft behind the profile may also want to explore George Daniels’s Watchmaking, the book Svaboe says Asaoka learned from. Treat it as optional further reading; this article does not verify a particular edition or current listing.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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