Watch Enthusiast's Life: Kei Kobayashi "Audemars Piguet to Commemorate an Important Milestone"

Owner-chef Kobayashi Kei, whose Paris restaurant Restaurant KEI has been awarded three stars in the French Michelin Guide, is the first Asian to achieve this feat, and has suddenly come into the limelight. He also has another side to him: he's a watch enthusiast. His favorite is the Swiss luxury watch Audemars Piguet. His constant spirit of exploration in pursuit of evolution while establishing classics is something Kobayashi says resonates with the cuisine he strives for.

"Audemars Piguet to commemorate an important milestone. It really boosted my motivation as a chef."

　I had the opportunity to meet Kei Kobayashi in Tokyo just before he returned to Paris during his busy schedule. Unlike the chef clad in a chef's coat that we often see in the media, here he was a watch enthusiast. I immediately asked him about his encounter with watches.

"When I was about 17 years old and training as a chef, the chef was wearing a Rolex Daytona. I didn't really understand mechanical watches at the time, but I thought they were really cool, and I knew I wanted one someday."

　He admired the watch the chef showed him, and was interested in Rolex and other brands, but as an apprentice he had no financial means and found it difficult to acquire one. So he decided to put aside his interest in watches and focus on French cuisine. In fact, after moving to France at the age of 21, he spent about 10 years honing his skills as a chef, and in 2011, at the young age of 33, he went independent and opened Restaurant KEI in a prime location in Paris. Around that time, something happened that awakened his interest in watches, which he had hidden for many years.

"I happened to meet a trading company employee who was a watch enthusiast, and he told me about Swiss manufactures. Until then, I had thought that Rolex represented the pinnacle of art when it came to watches, but when I learned about the wonders of in-house integrated production, I felt a connection and began to look into it myself."

　Kobayashi's focus as a manufacturer was on Audemars Piguet and their signature Royal Oak. 2012 coincided with the 40th anniversary of the birth of the Royal Oak. He had opened his own restaurant the previous year, so he wanted to own a 40th anniversary reproduction of the Jumbo. "Around 2014, I finally got my hands on the long-awaited reproduction model. I was so happy," recalls Kobayashi. This was the starting point of his career as a watch enthusiast.

　Equipped with the same thin automatic movement as the original 1972 model, and faithfully reproducing the case diameter and thinness of the original "Jumbo" in terms of design, Kobayashi saw the essence of what is known as a classic in this reproduction model. He also says that this can be applied to cooking. For a chef, being able to create a dish that is considered a classic means that they have established a genuine specialty.

"After that, I started wanting to wear a watch while cooking. It really boosted my motivation. Stainless steel is best suited to cooking, but the Royal Oak has a luxurious feel even in stainless steel, which I also liked."

　Kobayashi, the owner and chef of a French restaurant, took the next important step in 2020. His restaurant, Restaurant Kei, received the highest honor of three stars in the French Michelin Guide, becoming the first Asian to achieve this feat, catapulting him into the spotlight in Europe, the United States, and Japan. He commemorated this occasion with an Audemars Piguet: a black ceramic Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked watch, specially designed with a commemorative "★★★" engraved on the outer edge of the caseback. Kobayashi explains that this three-star personalization was not only a commemorative gift, but also "to boost my motivation." On the day of the interview, he wore his beloved model for a portrait. For him, this watch has become an indispensable part of his life.

　The Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked was first released in 2016 with a stainless steel case, and its greatest feature is the unique complication mechanism patented by Audemars Piguet, which places two balance wheels on the same axis to improve precision and stability. However, the openworked design, which allows the movement mechanism to be viewed from both the front and back, is also very attractive.

"It's better to be able to see the mechanism of a watch. I want to get a good look at the gears and parts. When I saw this double balance, I thought of a culinary team. It's like the coexistence of the chef and the staff behind him. It shows that the important staff are there, even though they're hidden. You can see that through the openwork that exposes the mechanism." The balance wheel visible from the front is the chef, and the staff behind it are responsible for the balance wheels and individual functions. Just as the mechanism of this watch achieves high precision, I could imagine the chef and staff working together to create wonderful dishes.

"Audemars Piguet also has outstanding ceramic processing technology. It's amazing how the cases and bracelets are precisely finished with the same extremely difficult and delicate techniques as the stainless steel models. I'd love to see them make a Jumbo watch out of ceramic next."

　Another watch he wears to work is the simple three-hand model "CODE 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Automatic."

"At first I thought, 'What?' but when I saw the real thing I was surprised to see that it was even more elaborate than the Royal Oak. Also, I felt that the symbolic name 11.59 was perfect for my struggle, just before the moment of my breakthrough. I'm looking forward to seeing how it becomes a classic."

　Kobayashi is impressed by Audemars Piguet's commitment to evolution while cherishing its past, and its aggressive approach to innovation. Perhaps he finds hints in this that will help him evolve as a chef.