Kurono Tokyo Reveals Its Time-Limited Anniversary Calendrier Type I Watch
The final iteration of the model.
Kurono Tokyo has unveiled its latest calendar timepiece in the form of the Anniversary Calendrier Type I “Azuki.”
The Calendrier Type I was initially introduced last year as the brand’s first timepiece featuring a complete calendar. As confirmed on Kurono Tokyo’s official webpage for the timepiece, it is said that the “Azuki” will be the final iteration of the Calendrier Type I and that the model will be discontinued after this release.
“Azuki” is the Japanese word for red bean, and the timepiece’s unusual, maroon-colored dial evidently nods to its name. Japanese watchmaker and Kurono Tokyo’s founder, Hajime Asaoka wanted to hark back to vintage cars, and the color choice also proves to be an homage to Japan’s then-popular standard color for cars, as well as the Datsun 240Z. For the first time, the brand is using phosphor-bronze as the basis of the dial, a material that is much harder to process in comparison to brass. According to Asaoka, the deep, nostalgic hue wasn’t easy to create, he explains that “For a deep maroon color, it is necessary to add a dye to the pigment. This requires a thicker coating of paint. This is no problem for a car body, but very difficult for a watch face.”
The rest of the watch face remains faithful to its preceding model with bolded and gothic Arabic numeral hour markers, railway track minute scale, guilloché sub-dials, and distinct hand-bent hands. This time around, the hour markers arrive in off-white color for a more complementing contrast t the vintage-colored dial. Inside the 38mm stainless steel case, beats the Japan-made Miyota 9122 movement with a triple-calendar complication, as well as 40 hours of power reserve.
As with previous special launches at Kurono Tokyo, the “Azuki” edition will retail for $1,830 USD and will solely be available in two 20-minute ordering windows. The first order window will be on May 26, between 11 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. JST. Later on that day, the second window will open from 11 p.m. to 11:20 p.m. JST. All successfully placed orders within these timeframes are expected to receive the watch between the end of June and August. For more information, visit Kurono Tokyo’s official website.
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