The first I heard about Kurono Tokyo was when a couple of the members from our watch community started talking about it in a group chat. During that time, I was spending a lot of hours researching micro brands, wanting to get something different from the norm. I’ve come to learn that Kurono Tokyo was established by the esteemed Hajime Asaoka watch artisan who wanted to ‘deliver to watch collectors a more accessible timepiece that shares the design DNA of Hajime’s exclusive handmade atelier watches, at affordable levels’. And deliver he did!

This particular piece is recognised as the “The Kurono Anniversary Green 森:mori” and was released online with some controversy which was rectified with a stroke of genius. Originally, a run of 50 森:mori was to ensue where it was sold out in a matter of seconds, but it was later understood the process fell apart. The system didn’t allow potential buyers to complete their transaction with a 5 minute holding cart as promised – it became a ‘who could complete the transaction fastest. In recognising this problem, Kuruno Tokyo apologised immediately via IG and opened the orders again for a strict 10 minutes and even allowed ‘For the first 50 that have previously successfully ordered the watch, should you decide to cancel the order, we will immediately provide a refund plus US$50 as a token of apology…”. What this showed me was that the company really cared about its customers and genuinely wanted collectors to be able to obtain one of these beautiful pieces.

Of course, there are two sides to the coin though. Some argue that the extra production takes away from the exclusivity of the piece, being that it is an anniversary model and that it’s not fair to the first 50 people who ordered (perhaps, flipper mentality?). Personally, IDGAF and was just happy to be able to get one and to be able to appreciate the art and craftsmanship of this piece. Another element I really appreciated was that I was always kept up to date as to the production and how things were going with the piece. I’ve shared with some of my peers the sincerity of some of the emails I’ve received about the delay of the watch due to strict QC. Also the hand written note that accompanied the watch when I received it and the token of thank you via a bracelet gifted to me.

I don’t think a lot of brands out there would give 2 cents about this level of customer service. I’ve written a lot about my buying experience and not necessarily the watch itself and for good reason. But here are the details of the watch for those who like the technical details:

Movement: premium-grade Miyota movement

Size: classic 37mm

Style: Art-deco vibes

I will add that the green dial is rather exquisite and that it dances in the light and gives off different depths of colour. It wears well on my 6.5 inch wrist without it looking too small. It’s a watch that must be seen in person for it to be understood fully.