You can see "Otsuka Low-Tech" and "Takano" anytime! A long-awaited permanent exhibition for watch enthusiasts has started at Isetan Shinjuku Store.

Despite their immense popularity both domestically and internationally, the rarity and limited distribution channels of Otsuka Low-Tech and Takano watches meant that watch enthusiasts lamented the inability to see them in person. This problem has now been resolved with the opening of a permanent exhibition at Isetan Shinjuku on July 8, 2026. Watch journalist Yasuhito Shibuya unravels the story behind this permanent exhibition through interviews with key figures.

Otsuka Lowtec and Takano's permanent exhibition has started at Isetan Shinjuku store!

　Otsuka Low-Tech, designed by industrial designer Jiro Katayama, is known for its retro-inspired, original designs and functionality, and in 2024 won the Grand Prix in the Challenge category (watches under 3000 Swiss francs) of the Geneva Watch Grand Prix (GPHG), often called the "Academy Awards of the watch world." And then there's Takano, the legendary high-precision watch brand revived with passionate enthusiasm by Hajime Asaoka, one of Japan's leading independent watchmakers.

　For watch enthusiasts not only in Japan but around the world, these two Made-in-Japan watch brands are currently the most intriguing. They offer mechanical watches that would undoubtedly cost three to five times more if they were from a Swiss micro-brand, but at an affordable price. However, there has been one unfortunate aspect until now: it has been difficult to actually see and touch the watches. Although they are sold through a fair and transparent method of lottery sales on the internet, they do not have showrooms, so opportunities for users to see and touch the actual watches have been limited. If you absolutely wanted to see the actual watch before purchasing, you had no choice but to rely on users who had already purchased one.

　However, this issue will finally be resolved from July 8, 2026. This is because products from Otsuka Lowtec and Takano will be permanently displayed on the 5th floor watch floor of Isetan Shinjuku, a store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, which is extremely popular among watch enthusiasts.

"These two brands are basically only sold through their official websites, but since watches are expensive, we felt it wasn't good for either the manufacturers or the customers if they could only understand them through photographs. We've always wanted to show the actual watches somewhere, so we're grateful that they'll be available on the watch floor at Isetan Shinjuku," says Asaoka. He is an independent watchmaker of the Association of Watchmakers Independents, the representative of Takano, and also the representative of Tokyo Watch Precision, to which the brand belongs.

"To be honest, when I first heard about the idea of ​​displaying our watches in a department store's watch section, I was a little hesitant. I thought they might just be treated as another store that 'stocks famous watches.' However, after talking with the buyer at Isetan Shinjuku, I realized that if we could display them with a clear intention, this was an opportunity," Katayama said.

　This world-first permanent exhibition of these two brands was proposed by Isetan. It is the culmination of the shared vision of Isetan Shinjuku's watch buyer, Hisaya Hashimoto, and assistant buyer, Maki Yokomizo, who believe that "delivering Japanese creations as culture to the world ahead of others is the mission of Isetan Shinjuku."

"About a year ago, I started researching various information and looking at photos of watches on Instagram, starting from a point where I knew almost nothing about watches. That's when I discovered that there are so many interesting watches in Japan, and that there are amazing people who create them. That was the starting point for this project. Also, while the watch floor at Isetan Shinjuku has received high praise, we felt that a new challenge was needed for the sales floor in an era where watch enthusiasts are choosing watches based on their own sensibilities. So, I asked for their cooperation with the mindset that there was nothing to lose," says Hashimoto, the driving force behind this permanent exhibition.

　The models scheduled for display are the "No. 9," "No. 8," "No. 7.5," "No. 6," and "No. 5 Modified" from Otsuka Lowtec, and the "Châteauneuf-du-Velle Chronometer" from Takano.

Overview of the permanent exhibition

Venue: Isetan Shinjuku Main Building, 5th Floor, Watch Section
Address: Shinjuku X, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 3-14-1
Opening Hours: Midnight 10 Hours ~ X PM XUMX Hours
*Please note that the watches will only be on display at Isetan Shinjuku store and will not be available for in-store purchase. Those wishing to purchase should apply for the lottery sales held regularly on each brand's official website.