Kurono announced a new version of its chronograph — with the same Seiko movement as its predecessor — and a new color scheme.
The Kurono Tokyo Chronograph 3 Hisui features a jade green ring that has a minute/second scale printed in black and polished applied spherical-shaped stainless steel indices marking the hours (applied numeral at 12). The unique steel handset has been bent to the curve of the dial, by hand — adding to the unique ambiance of the piece.
According to Kurono, “Pointillism technique was applied for the jade-green radial to deliver an expression of the stone texture of jadeite. It is then imbued with micro-metallic particles to mimic the mineral inclusions in raw jade. A final coat of clear glossy lacquer is then applied to seal, resulting in a very pleasant sheen and vibrancy. HISUI:翡翠 introduces a multi-layered dye process that juxtaposes colored textured finishes against a white polished lacquer base, a first in any Kurono timepiece.”
A slightly different shade of green (turquoise) was used for the radially engraved guilloche counters (small seconds on the left and chrono minutes on the right). Each counter is sunken and has a diamond-cut steel surround ring which adds an additional dimension to the intricate dial.
At 38 mm x 13.5 mm, with a 46.8 lug-to-lug, and a 1.8 mm thick box-type domed sapphire crystal, the watch offers vintage-esque dimensions. While the dial finishing and case dimensions target the refined watch collector, part of what keeps the price low relative to Hajime Asaoka timepieces (the accessibly priced offering of Japanese master watchmaker that feature in-house movements) is the use of a Seiko-produced caliber NE86 chronograph.
The 7.65 mm thick, 34-jewel, 311 component, 4Hz automatic movement is made in Japan and features an advanced column wheel, vertical clutch, magic level with a 45-hour power reserve — though it’s not a particularly well-decorated movement, and there’s no hour counter as you’d find on a Seiko caliber NE88. Moreover, with no statement about the rate, it presumably comes out of the Kurono workshop without any accuracy adjustments.
With a look that’s distinctively recognizable as being made by Kurono Tokyo, it’s an attractive timepiece, though thick at 13.5 mm in height considering the case is only 38 mm in diameter. And at $3,460 there are a lot of alternatives for the same price or less on the market that might be a better choice — though none will look quite like this.
Photos by Kurono Tokyo.
