The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

bitewatches Images courtesy of Grove Communications forges cutlery drawn from 700 years of tradition. Silverware company Ryusen Hamono inherited the heat forging tech- niques essential to creating Japanese swords and the hand sand- ing tradition to develop cutlery. Their exclusive brand products with innovative designs, including knives that cut with preci- sion, are highly appreciated by elite international chefs. This city is also renowned for producing high-grade washi paper that makes cards, containers or envelopes. Japanese watch company Seiko also celebrates Takumi with its Presage Craftsmanship Series. These remarkable timepieces are individually handcrafted by master artisans combining Seiko’s watchmaking technology with centuries of traditional artistry. Arita, a small town located on the southern island of Kyushu and home to Japan’s porcelain industry, first manufactured ce- ramics in 1616. Its high-quality porcelain has influenced other ceramic traditions around the world. The porcelain watch dial created by Master Craftsman Hi- royuki Hashiguchi and his team requires great skill and pa- tience through the multistage process. Hashiguchi inherited his skills from his parents, who both worked with porcelain and intended to channel the legacy and technique of his fore- bearers to create prestige and unique works. “It isn’t easy to see, but this dial - with varying thickness and thinness in the single shape - is incredibly hard to achieve with traditional methods,” he explained. Its slender yet dimensional dial is approximately 1mm in height and curves downwards from the index to the dial centre to cre- ate a mild form with depth. Whilst making the dial challenged the limits of traditional Arita porcelain casting moulding pro- cesses, it produced a unique surface finished with a glaze that gives it a glossy cluster and soft shade. It also involved extensive research and development to achieve the wristwatch's required durability and strength. By fusion of Japan’s world-class traditions and technologies, the Arita porcelain dial is made of highly durable material four times harder than standard porcelain. It undergoes a casting process using ultra-high precision moulds fired at a high tem- perature of 1,300 degrees. The dial is glazed and fired multiple times to complete the highly challenging process. The blue in- dexes and hands against the pure white porcelain enhance the beauty of the dial. Additionally, Seiko created a particular Kanazawa Urushi version inspired by the Kenrokuen Gardens, a vast and beautiful green space in the heart of Kanazawa, Japan, limited to 2,000 pieces. It uses Urushi lacquering, a natural ingredient obtained from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree that is ap- plied by hand to give the dial its depth. The lacquer is painted onto the dials by master artisans and polished by hand several times to obtain its deep silky colour. Unlike the Arita porcelain watch with a 6R31 calibre, Kanaz- awa Urushi is equipped with a 6R24 capacity. Still, both have the same automatic and manual winding movement encased in a 40.5 mm stainless case with dual-curved sapphire crystal glass. The dial is green with a three-fold clasp, push button, and leather strap. The Presage Craftsman has an additional anti-re- flective crystal coating on the inner surface, while the Kanaza- wa Urushi does not have this feature. Seiko timepieces are available online, at their stores and other authorised retailers globally in Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia and the Middle East. www.seikowatches.com/uk-en PRESAGE CRAFTSMANSHIP SERIES