Mexico Limited Edition by Minase

Photos: Courtesy by Minase

The Japanese watch brand founded in 2000 by Kyowa, was presented for the first time at SIAR, which took place in Mexico City last October. Today, the brand is renowned for its creativity, traditional techniques, technological excellence and attention to detail.

Bandera de México and Seigaiha  The brand combines its traditional craftsmanship with Mexican civilisation in this exclusive collection of five numbered pieces in 18-carat rose gold and ten in stainless steel, delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

The design of the dial is inspired by the Mexican coat of arms, itself based on the Aztec symbol of Tenochtitlan, and instead of sitting on a cactus, the eagle stands on a Seigaiha, a symbolic wave motif representing good luck in Japan.

The eagle on the Mexican flag symbolises strength, resilience and the triumph of good over evil. In this piece, the snake’s and eagle’s heads are made of thin leaves of pure gold. Master Junichi Hakose has cut and pasted luminous shells on black urushi lacquer to make the eagle’s eyes. The Seigaiha is reminiscent of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” this wave not only symbolises good luck but also change in Japan. The artist selected tiny pieces of quail eggs and applied them on the surface of the waves, he also designed a green, yellow and red path as a link between Mexico and Japan. 

Junichi Hakose Master Hakose was born in Wajima and he’s one of the most internationally acclaimed Japanese lacquer artists.

The dial of each piece is hand-painted using the urushi technique, a delicate procedure in which layers of lacquer are applied and heated to prevent the dial from future discolouring and rusting. This procedure is repeated two or three times before the artist begins to decorate the dial, alternating between painting, gold spreading “makié,” placing flat flakes gold “hirame,” shells or quail eggshells.

It takes up than thirty hours to manufacture a single dial, as the paint and lacquer need to dry after every step of the decoration. Minase in Geneva

Watchmakers United is a renowned event that brings together independent watchmakers and enthusiasts from around the world.

During the event, Minase was able to exhibit some of its most acclaimed models and collections such as: Windows, Divido, Horizon, Uruga and the recent Mexico Limited Edition. These Haute Horlogerie pieces show the brand’s commitment to fusing Japanese tradition with Swiss mechanical movements. Each timepiece is meticulously crafted in Akita Prefecture, where traditional Japanese techniques such as sallaz polishing also known as “Zaratsu” or black polish and urushi lacquered dials are combined to create visually appealing and technically refined timepieces.