After luxury sports watches became a huge trend and became a standard, dress watches are gaining attention as a new trend. This classic genre, which was once somewhat difficult to use, has now dramatically evolved into a more practical watch. We revisited this new era of dress watches in the January 2024 issue (Vol. 110) of Chronos Japan. This feature article has been republished on webChronos. In this article, we will explore this genre using specific models as case studies. This time, we will look at NAOYA HIDA & CO.
Photographs by Eiichi Okuyama
Masamasa Hirota (this magazine): Interview and writing
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Tomoshige Kase, Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan), Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2024 issue of Kronos Japan]
Case Study: NAOYA HIDA & CO.
This new model is reminiscent of dress watches from the 1940s and 1950s. However, it is not simply a retro style, as it brings together excellent details from various eras. It is, in a sense, a culmination of all dress watches to date. It is a model that brings together craftsmanship, modern processing technology, and the knowledge of Naoya Tobita. Manual winding (Cal. 3019SS). 18 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 48 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 37mm, thickness 9.8mm). Water resistant to 5 bar. Limited to approximately 10 pieces. 2,915,000 yen (tax included). Sold out.
The "NH" collection produced by "NAOYA HIDA & CO." gives the strong impression of being a watch made by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. This is especially true when you consider the elaborate exteriors that cannot be achieved through mass production and the extremely limited production numbers. However, this niche collection actually fully grasps the basics of a dress watch. The appeal of the "NH" collection, which now appeals to more than just watch enthusiasts, lies in its clever packaging, which could be said to be the culmination of dress watches.
NAOYA HIDA & CO. "NH TYPE 1D-1"
Founder Naoya Tobita has never explicitly called his collection dress watches, but given his consistent love for high-quality dress watches, it's only natural that his creations would be dress watches, or something close to them.
Dress watches have been the mainstream of the watch industry since the 1940s. Their design has changed dramatically due to market demands and technological constraints. However, thanks to cutting-edge machine tools, it is now possible to reproduce any shape. On the other hand, as a result of being able to design freely, the standards of what constitutes a dress watch that existed in the past are gradually disappearing.
What makes NAOYA HIDA & CO. unique is that they carefully combine the various codes of dress watches (or similar) that existed in the past. A good example is the "NH TYPE 1D-1" featured here. The overall impression of the watch is that of a dress watch from the 1940s or 50s. However, the details seen throughout are not necessarily limited to this era.
The polygonal screw-down caseback is a design element seen on waterproof cases from the 40s and 50s (such as Borel). The large crown is a design element from the 30s and 40s, when large-diameter movements were the norm. The NH TYPE 1D-1's lugs, integrated into the case, are a distinctive detail of dress watches regardless of the era, but lugs from the 40s and 50s were quite thin, regardless of manufacturer. Since the 60s, the lugs of some dress watches have become wider, but their design has also been revised to become more linear. The wide lugs of the NH TYPE 1D-1, while still curved, clearly belong to the 2000s and later eras. However, they are not as short as those of dress watches from the 2020s and later.
The concave bezel, which is hollowed out on the inside, is a detail seen in luxury watches from the 1980s to the 90s. Using a flat sapphire crystal would inevitably increase the thickness of the bezel. Therefore, Patek Philippe and others adopted a concave bezel with hollowed out on the inside to make the watch appear slimmer, if only visually. The only other brands that use this feature on watches today are Montblanc, IWC, and Cartier.
There are other details, too. The dial's raised outer perimeter is a detail rarely seen on wristwatches from the 40s and 50s. While it existed on guilloched dials, it was never used on a simple dial like the NH TYPE 1D-1. The Breguet numerals used as indices also enjoyed a brief revival in the 60s and 70s, but are essentially a detail that predates wristwatches. Furthermore, the extremely three-dimensional leaf hands were also something that had never been seen on dress watches. To give an example, Patek Philippe from the 80s and 90s had similar hands. However, hands with such a three-dimensional feel likely date back to the era of pocket watches. The rich design is only possible thanks to cutting with a micromachining machine.
The "NH" collection has a design that seems familiar, yet is unprecedented. Its seamless blend of timeless dress watch details makes it the culmination of the dress watch genre. Now that dress watch styles have been exhausted and their codes are being lost, this timeless design is sure to inspire the sensibilities of watch lovers.
