YOSUKE SEKIGUCHI's "Prim Vert" is equipped with a Jürgensen-style movement. New champlevé and cream enamel dials have been announced for the 2025 model.
Text by CCFan (Watch Media Online)
Edited by Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
YOSUKE SEKIGUCHI "Prim Vert"
This new model features a dial crafted using the champlevé technique, where all the indexes are engraved and enamel is poured into the dial. The dial is made of 18K white gold, but the background appears reddish to the naked eye, possibly due to the influence of the case and dial. Manual winding (Cal. YS-Y01). 21 jewels. 18,000 vph. Power reserve of approximately 40 hours. 18K gold case (39.5mm diameter, 12mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. 1584 million yen (tax included).
(Right) Caliber YS-Y1 combines a robust Jurgensen-style bridge with a uniquely shaped spring hook. It is not overly decorative, but rather combines simple robustness with minimalist beauty. The chamfering is a more difficult C-chamfer than the typical R-chamfer, and the flat surface catches light at a specific angle, resulting in a brilliant reflection. The industrial-looking shock absorber is covered with ruby, achieving a classic design.
The Plim Vert is a watch by Yosuke Sekiguchi, a Japanese watchmaker living in Le Locle. This model is equipped with a traditional movement modeled after a Jürgensen pocket watch, which Yosuke, a watchmaker who is involved with antiques both in his personal and professional life, "put on his wrist" and loved so much that he wore it every day. The watch is a classic watch with a regal style, combining a precious metal case with a Grand Feu enamel dial crafted using the champlevé technique.
Each year, Prim Vert releases a limited number of year models with different dial designs and case materials. "As long as it's a piece I have my name on, I can't leave it to others," says Prim Vert, who personally handles the finishing touches on the fine movement parts and hands. The ébauches are made using a unique method: a micro-engineer takes measurements of a prototype handcrafted without a blueprint, creates a blueprint, and then uses this to create the parts. The ébauches arrive in their raw, uncut state, without even a chamfer. Each piece is then "worked" by hand, polishing and finishing until he is satisfied.
The new model features an enamel dial crafted by an independent artist in the canton of Neuchâtel. The champlevé technique, in which enamel is poured into engraved recesses, creates a thick layer of enamel, resulting in a rich, deep color. In the new garnet color, the Roman numeral hour indexes, dot minute indexes, and even the dot index on the small second dial are all engraved, creating a beautiful contrast between the luster of the metal and the deep red enamel.
The more you look at Plymvale, the more you can see Sekiguchi's "insatiable commitment to perfection." It's easy to use the cliché phrase "no compromises," but that alone is far from enough. If you have the chance, I urge you to check it out for yourself.
