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2026 Kurono Special Projects

37mm INSEKI '隕石'

"I’d actually been thinking about using meteorite for Kurono for quite some time."

"I felt that the contrast between meteorite’s rugged texture and our soft, gentle case design would be fascinating. But there were two challenges in bringing the idea to life."

"One of the defining features of the Kurono Tokyo is its cylindrical dial, and I wanted to preserve that even when working with meteorite. Shaping meteorite itself into a cylindrical form is extremely difficult, so I explored a bull’s-eye design instead—using meteorite for the central section and giving the surrounding area a gentle curve toward the outer edge."

"With this approach, I think we achieved a meteorite dial that still feels distinctly like a Kurono Tokyo."

"The meteorite we used is called the Muonionalusta meteorite, which fell in what is now Sweden roughly one million years ago. Its main component is iron, and when you cut and etch it, differences in its crystalline structure reveal distinctive natural patterns."

"Because of this, every meteorite dial is unique; no two are ever the same. At times, though, the pattern can turn out somewhat plain—that was the second challenge."

"To address this, I personally inspected every single dial and selected only those with compelling patterns. As proof of that selection, I added my personal seal to the dial."

"A million years is long before the emergence of humankind. When you glance at your watch to check your plans for the day and see a piece of meteorite that has endured for such an immense span of time, the hours of everyday life start to feel incredibly small."

"That’s what I felt while wearing the prototype. This watch may even make you a little more relaxed (perhaps too relaxed) about time. Consider yourself warned :)"

Introducing the new Kurono Special Projects 37mm INSEKI ‘隕石’, a personal study by Hajime Asaoka as he brings meteorite into the Kurono Tokyo design language after many years of contemplation. Gray meteorite is complemented by a white lacquered ring that features Hajime's personally designed Calligra typeface painted in high relief, with the monochromatic look finished with hand-bent high-polished steel hands.

This is a very limited release and will be available worldwide on kuronotokyo.com for US$1,850 excluding VAT & duties.

Global online sale starts Thursday, 15 January, 11:00 PM JST

Individually Selected Dials

At times, the natural pattern of meteorite can appear understated. To ensure that only the most visually compelling meteorite patterns were used, Hajime Asaoka personally inspected every single dial. Only those with strong, well-defined character were selected for final assembly. As a mark of this personal selection, each watch bears Hajime’s own seal on the dial.

Unique Calligra Typeface

Hajime Asaoka drew upon his art school training in lettering and personally hand-drew each of the Breguet numerals (1 to 12) using a pen to ensure an authentic, human touch, similar to how original Breguet markers were created two centuries ago. The best examples were then carefully selected, enlarged, and used as the original template. Here, the indices are painted black in high relief against white lacquer.

ABOUT MUONIONALUSTA
The Muonionalusta meteorite is an iron-nickel meteorite classified as a fine octahedrite (type IVA). It is one of the oldest known meteorites found on Earth, with a formation age estimated at over 4.5 billion years, predating the Earth itself. Studies have shown it impacting the Earth (northern Scandinavia) during the Quaternary Period, about one million years ago. It is quite clearly part of the iron core or mantle of a planetoid, which shattered into many pieces upon its fall on our planet. Since then, it has survived four separate ice ages, which helped preserve its structure in the Arctic permafrost.

Widmanstätten Pattern: When sliced and etched with acid, it reveals a striking geometric crystal structure known as the Widmanstätten pattern. These patterns form through the extremely slow cooling of iron-nickel alloy in space—roughly 1°C every million years.

Composition: It consists of approximately 91% iron and 8.4% nickel, with trace amounts of rare elements like gallium, germanium, and iridium.

PREVIEW IN TOKYO & SHANGHAI SALONS

From the 5th to 15th January 2026, visitors that come to our salons in Tokyo and Shanghai can view the new 37mm INSEKI '隕石'. For addresses and opening hours, please click here: [Tokyo] [Shanghai]

Baseline Tariffs for US-bound Orders

Please understand that by proceeding with this order, you acknowledge that shipments into the US will be subject to current baseline tariffs of 15%. This is on top of the listed global MSRP of US$1,850 for the watch. This may be on top of any existing state or federal consumption taxes and charges. This baseline tariffs and any other charges will be paid directly by you to the delivery partner DHL or Fedex on fulfilment. Kurono will not collect such tariffs and charges from you upfront. Due to the limited nature of the watch, Kurono orders cannot be cancelled, returned, nor refunded. By proceeding with this order, you agree to the abovementioned and to the no-cancellation policy in force.

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