Grand Seiko “Kiku” at Big Moon, Kyoto, Japan
There are watch stores that sell watches, and then there are watch stores that create lasting memories. Big Moon Kyoto belongs firmly in the second category. After several days of hunting through Osaka and Kyoto’s incredible watch scene, I arrived at Big Moon with one specific watch in mind—a watch that had been quietly occupying my browser tabs for months. The Grand Seiko SBGM235 “Kiku” GMT. The Hunt For months I’d been watching this reference across every marketplace imagin
Jul 184 min read
Grand Seiko First at Kyotoya in Otsu, Japan
Sometimes the best watch finds aren’t in the middle of Tokyo, Osaka or even in downtown Kyoto; they’re just a little further off the beaten path. After days of exploring Japan’s incredible vintage watch scene, I made the journey to Otsu, on the shores of beautiful Lake Biwa, to visit Kyotoya, a long-established watch dealer that has earned an excellent reputation among collectors worldwide. The company has been in business since 1951, known principally as a pawnshop, offering
Jul 163 min read
Minase in Osaka: Finding #63 of-77 Masterpiece at NEXT BRIDGE
One of the greatest pleasures of collecting watches is discovering a brand that quietly goes about its craft, unconcerned with trends or marketing hype. During my recent watch-hunting trip through Osaka, that discovery was Minase. While many collectors travel to Japan searching for Grand Seiko, vintage King Seikos, or elusive Credors, Minase represents something different. Produced in extremely small numbers by Kyowa Seiko in Akita Prefecture, the brand is built around extrao
Jul 163 min read
