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Réserve de Marche

'SENSU N.O.S.'

Special Projects - Réserve de Marche

'Sensu N.O.S.'

Introducing the new Kurono Special Projects Réserve de Marche nicknamed ‘SENSU NOS’ - a 38mm mechanical power reserve complication with a guilloché dial which for the first time uses in-house modified movements based on new-old-stock (NOS) calibers from Citizen Japan. The 38mm Special Projects RdM ‘Sensu’ will be launched in Blue and Cream dial variants. 

The new Special Projects ‘SENSU NOS’ features Hajime Asaoka’s unique interpretation of the classical guilloché-dialed watch with an art-deco flair. At the power reserve indicator, Hajime-sensei incorporated a guilloché pattern mimicking a folding Japanese fan (扇子 : sensu). The ‘sensu’ pattern is complemented by Clous de Paris in the main and 24-hour inset dials, with circular guilloché graining at the seconds periphery. A thin guilloché railway-track is leveraged as demarcations, complemented by inset minute-markers and high-polish studs as hour-markers. The look is finished with relief-printed hour numerals in Arabic for the Cream, and Kanji for the Blue respectively. 

Kurono in 2022 purchased the entire balance stock of the discontinued Premium Automatic Cal.9134 from Citizen. It is redesignated Cal.9134PWT to reflect our in-house timekeeping modifications, and in the removal of the caliber’s date. 

These modifications were necessary as Hajime-sensei desired a classically clean dial to showcase as much of his guilloche design without the fussiness of a date indicator window. However, a Japan-made movement with such preferences of his was not available. 

Because this is based on NOS movements that are no longer in production, only a very small number of ‘SENSU NOS’ will be made hence its Special Projects designation. Cal.9134PWT is permanently discontinued after this launch.

US$2,150 excl VAT

10:00PM JST, Thursday 10 October 2024

  • Orders are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled.
  • Stricter anti-reseller policies will apply.
  • Kurono ships worldwide to most major destinations.

Expected deliveries from November 2024 onwards

"This watch has now become a great favorite of mine.

I have had only one other watch with a power reserve other than (SENSU NOS) - a Swiss-made watch from the 1950s with a fan-shaped window at 12 o'clock that displays the remaining time of the power reserve. When it is running low, the color of the display changes from white to red. Some of you watch lovers may be able to guess which watch it is. The power-reserve display on this watch is somewhat like a digital display, and it is difficult to grasp the time quantitatively compared to the hands on an analog watch. I am not sure if they have improved on this, but most power reserve displays nowadays use a hand that allows us to see the amount of time remaining quantitatively. And I am embarrassed to say that I never realized how wonderful it is until I designed this watch.

When I wear this (SENSU NOS) watch on a walk, I can see the power-reserve indicator going up quickly. An automatic watch stealthily takes a small portion of the energy generated by the user's daily life and converts it into power for the watch, and I can clearly see how this is happening on the watch. After a while, this indicator became like a pedometer for me. I don't know exactly how many kilometers I've walked, but when I can see that the power reserve has been fully replenished, that is proof of the amount of exercise I've done, and it feels good. The power reserve indicator was originally intended to show the amount of power remaining, but I, on the contrary, enjoy the process of filling up the power reserve." ~ Hajime Asaoka

"Now, let's talk about the design.

This time, I decided to take on the challenge of creating a so-called guilloche dial. I say 'challenge' because it actually took three and a half years of prototyping for this dial, and it was indeed a challenge.

A normal guilloche dial is engraved on a flat surface, but in this watch, the guilloche is engraved on a convex dial following the tradition of KURONO TOKYO. As you can see, the pyramid pattern in the center of the dial gradually tilts toward the outside, and creating the mold for this was very difficult.

The blank of this watch's dial is made much thicker than usual and is molded as a single piece, including the deep recesses for the power reserve and 24-hour display. Achieving sharpness in these areas posed a significant technical challenge. As a result, I believe we have created a dial with strong contrasts and an elegant appearance." ~ Hajime Asaoka

BLUED-STEEL HANDS*

A hallmark of Kurono design, the hands of the 'SENSU NOS ' are hand-bent to match the curves of the dial and glass.

*For the Cream variant, blued-steel hands are used for the hours, minutes and seconds.

Dauphine hands are also used for the first time in Kurono’s timepieces. The tapered triangular shape and the high-polished surface of Dauphine hands on the 24-hour subdial and power reserve indicator accentuate light-play.

Kanji Markers

The ‘SENSU NOS’ in blue offers a window into Japanese heritage with its Kanji hour markers. These logographic characters form the core of the Japanese writing system and are artistically rendered in Hajime-sensei's signature calligraphy style. Positioned at 3 o’clock, the Kurono Tokyo logo deviates from the conventional 12 o’clock placement. 

With the 'SENSU NOS' in Cream, the Arabic numerals reflect an old-world charm and the rich history of mathematics. This classic style, characterized by its clean aesthetic and familiarity, enhances legibility.

24-HOUR SUBDIAL

Clous de Paris guilloché adorns the 24-hour subdial while a thin guilloche railway-track encircles the track ring. While the main dial presents time in the conventional 12-hour format, the supplementary 24-hour subdial offers a seamless and unimpeded view of time. At a glance, it is easy to distinguish between AM and PM, which is particularly beneficial in regions with significant daylight variations.

PUBLIC GLOBAL SALE

PREORDERS START 10 OCTOBER, 10:00PM JST

US$2,150 excluding VAT/Duties

The 2024 Réserve de Marche 'Sensu NOS' is a limited production release in the low hundreds per variant and will not be repeated. Strictly one purchase per customer, irrespective of variant.

10:00PM JST, Thursday, 10th Oct 2024
(BST) London: Thursday, 10th Oct, 2:00PM
(EDT) New York: Thursday, 10th Oct, 9:00AM
(GST) Dubai: Thursday, 10th Oct, 5:00PM
(AEDT) Sydney: Friday, 11th Oct, 12:00AM
(PDT) California: Thursday, 10th Oct, 6:00AM

((Expected deliveries from November 2024 onwards))
Kurono ships worldwide to most major destinations
((All purchases are final and cannot be cancelled))

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