Marc André Deschoux from The Watches TV went to Tokyo to find out more about independent, self-taught watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, who is also a member of the A.H.C.I. (academy of independent watchmaker creators).

A closeup of Hajime Asaoka’s tourbillon

Asaoka is rapidly becoming a fan favorite among enthusiasts taken with the Japanese watchmaker’s detailed, careful way of working. Our own GaryG even acquired one of his rare timepieces.

Asaoka only learned the art of watchmaking in 2005, and by 2011 he had sold his first wristwatch. Today he only produces about five timepieces per year, including creations as complicated as a tourbillon and an in-house chronograph.

This video represents a rare opportunity of seeing Asoka’s high-tech workshop and hearing him speak (with subtitles in English), so many thanks to our friends at The Watches TV for undertaking this exciting trip to Tokyo and sharing the watchmaker’s mechanical art.

For more information, please visit www.hajimeasaoka.com.

Quick Facts Hajime Asaoka Tsunami
Case: 37 mm, stainless steel case with polished bezels and brushed case band; domed front saphhire crystal and exhibition back with sapphire crystal
Dial: German silver base milled in cloisonné style with lacquer and clay surfaces; grooved seconds subdial; printed numerals, logo, and indices
Movement: manually wound, 40-hour power reserve; 18,000 vph/2.5 Hz frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds
Price: JPY 3 million (approx. $26,700)
Production years: 2012 onward; fewer than 10 examples made as of late 2018

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