Toledano & Chan’s Oshinobi Timepiece Keeps Its Diamonds Out of Sight
A sliding titanium panel reveals a hidden concave dial set with approximately two carats of natural diamonds.
Summary
Toledano & Chan’s Oshinobi watch disguises a diamond-set watch inside a sculptural titanium bracelet.
A sliding panel reveals a concave dial set with around two carats of diamonds.
The one-off TimeForArt piece heads to auction in December.
New York-based independent brand Toledano & Chan has unveiled the “Oshinobi,” a highly conceptual, unique piece crafted specifically for the TimeForArt benefit auction. The name comes from the Japanese term oshinobi (お忍び), historically associated with someone of high status moving through the world incognito — an idea translated quite literally into the watch’s architecture.
At first glance, the piece resembles an angular titanium bracelet rather than a conventional timepiece, continuing the sculptural approach established with the brand’s B/1 family. It also marks Toledano & Chan’s return to TimeForArt after its meteorite B/1M contribution in 2024, but this time the concept revolves around concealment: the watch is designed to keep its most extravagant element hidden until its wearer chooses to reveal it.
Constructed entirely from Grade 5 titanium, Oshinobi measures 21.6mm wide, 46.9mm lon and 10.9mm thick, with its faceted case flowing directly into an equally architectural bracelet. A concealed panel slides aside to expose the dial beneath, transforming the seemingly austere exterior into a secret diamond watch.
The concave dial is snow-set with approximately 387 natural diamonds totaling around two carats, arranged in varying sizes to evoke the crystalline formations revealed when a geode is broken open. That organic, irregular surface deliberately contrasts with the hard geometry of the sandblasted titanium exterior, while the hidden format gives the traditionally conspicuous diamond watch a more private character. Power comes from a manually wound Le Temps Manufacture LTM-2000 calibre, enclosed behind a titanium caseback carrying a special TimeForArt engraving.
The Oshinobi prototype will be offered as a unique piece at the TimeForArt auction, held in partnership with Phillips as part of The New York Watch Auction XV on December 5, 2026 at 3 p.m. EST. Proceeds from TimeForArt support Swiss Institute’s contemporary-art exhibitions, artist programs, residencies and public initiatives, with the watch presented in a dedicated concrete box. Oshinobi will not remain a one-off concept, however: Toledano & Chan has confirmed that a limited-production version will follow in 2027, bringing the concealed-watch idea into the brand’s wider collection after the charity-auction prototype makes its debut.
