Masamasa Hirota, Editor-in-Chief of Kronos Japan
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Independent watchmaker Masahiro Kikuno
Born in Hokkaido in 1983, he joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force after graduating from high school. After being discharged from the Self-Defense Forces in 2005, he enrolled in Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College to study watchmaking. After graduating, he continued to create his own pieces as a trainee. After working as a lecturer at the college, he went independent in 2012. In 2011, he became the first Japanese person to become an associate member of the Association of Independent Watchmakers (AHCI) in Switzerland. He exhibited for the first time at Baselworld, the world's largest jewelry and watch fair. In 2013, he became a full member of AHCI.
https://www.masahirokikuno.jp/
Part 2: "Fusing your client's philosophy with what you want to do"
Hirota: Philippe Dufour's masterpiece, "Simplicity," became a hit, so he continued making it, but he clearly told me, "I'm tired of it." In the end, he decided not to take any further orders for "Simplicity," saying, "I don't live my life to make things like this." For example, even when Kikuno cuts out the holes with a jigsaw, to the untrained eye it looks like a routine task.
Kikuno: Surprisingly, however, it's not a routine. It may seem that way, but when I'm cutting with the jigsaw, I make subtle discoveries like, "Oh, that cut went really well," or "I made a bit of a mistake that time." Even when I'm doing it monotonously, like an ordeal, it's surprisingly interesting when I realize, "I just cut the screw cleanly," or "I was able to polish it nicely in a short amount of time."
Hirota: I didn't know that! It's the first time I've heard of it.
Kikuno: I think if it becomes a routine, it will probably lose its fun.
Hirota: We will leave it to CNC.
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