The independent watch space in Japan is one of the most interesting in the world right now. There have, of course, always been a lot of great watches coming out of Japan, but the last few years have seen a real surge in enthusiast focused releases from brands at literally every price point, and they’ve been redefining what a Japanese watch looks and feels like. We recently covered the latest release from Ōtsuka Lōtec, a daring haute horology experiment with a six figure price tag, and this year also saw the unveiling of Naoya Hida’s first perpetual calendar, which, for me personally, is still one of the very best watches I’ve laid hands on in 2025. These watches, and others, make for great examples of the breadth of Japanese watchmaking, but not everything new and interesting is prohibitively expensive. Case in point, Kiwame Tokyo, an entirely new brand that recently came across our radar.
Kiwame is the brainchild of Masami Watanabe, a 30 year veteran of the watch industry who began his career importing luxury watches from European brands to his native Japan. Over time, he also became interested in the burgeoning microbrand scene, and the stated goal of Kiwame is to create a “truly Japanese” microbrand that captures the refinement and craft that is often associated with Japanese design principles.
Kiwame debuted their first two watches only a short time ago and they quickly sold out of each 99 piece limited edition (an additional run is promised for November). Both are Calatrava-style, vintage inspired pieces with conservative, wearable dimensions. The Usuki and Kurotsuki (yellow-ivory and gloss black dials respectively) each come in sleek 38mm cases that are 9.5mm tall and 46mm from lug to lug. The defining trait of each dial would be the applied Arabic numerals, which are a slightly tweaked take on the classic Breguet numeral typeface. The Usuki is particularly striking, in my opinion, as each applied numeral has been given a black coating for contrast. It looks great against the dial. The black dialed Kurotsuki is a more traditional execution, with the metallic numerals given a subtle brushed finish for depth and legibility. Both watches have syringe style hands and minimal dial text for a clean look.
These watches run on a Miyota 9039 movement and have sapphire crystals and 100 meters of water resistance with a screw down crown. That last spec surprised me a bit – given the proportions and the general style of these watches, I’d have anticipated they would be specced like a dress watch with 50 meters of water resistance and a push/pull crown. It’s nice to see that Kiwame has considered the enthusiast market here, likely understanding that for some the lack of these features would put a hard stop on any thoughts of placing an order. Knowing that these watches can and will stand up to day to day activity without a second thought puts them in an interesting casual, everyday wear category that doesn’t have nearly enough watches in this particular style.
Both of the debut watches from Kiwame have a retail price of $650, which feels eminently fair given the current state of the market and potential competition from other Japanese, American, and European microbrands. We hope to have a review sample of a Kiwame watch in the office soon, and will be keeping an eye on this brand, and the rest of the Japanese indie scene, moving forward. Kiwame Tokyo
Zach Kazan
2025-10-02 17:00:00