Thank you very much for your patronage of Chronos Japan and webChronos last year. Editor-in-Chief Masamasa Hirota would like to extend his New Year's greetings to all readers.
Text by Masayuki Hirota(Chronos-Japan)
[Article published on January 1, 2026]
Happy new year 2026!
Happy New Year to everyone watching Chronos Japan, webChronos, and webChronosTV. I hope the calendars on your watches have properly switched to the 1st. This is Masamasa Hirota from Chronos Japan and webChronos. The year 2025 was a year packed with events, including the sudden passing of our founder, Soichiro Matsuzaki, our incorporation into LinkTides Holdings, Inc., and the 20th anniversary of our magazine's founding.
Looking back at the watch industry, a lot has happened: the rise of the Swiss franc and the fall of the yen, stagnation in demand due to Trump's tariffs, sluggish domestic sales due to a decline in inbound tourism, and soaring watch prices. The watch boom that began in the mid-2010s is now winding down, but I feel that this is ultimately bringing about further maturity in the market. If I may call it that, perhaps we are now at a turning point from quantity to quality.
Regardless of the circumstances, our stance remains unchanged: to be a reference point for watch lovers when discussing watches. In other words, we hope to continue providing you with topics that are a little more niche or have a different perspective.
To be honest, the outlook for the watch industry in 2026 is not as bright as it was a few years ago. However, we are confident that the passion of those who make watches and those who search for attractive timepieces will never change. We sincerely hope that we can be of some help to you this year as well.
Editor-in-Chief of "Chronos Japan" and webChronos
Masayuki Hirota
