[Interview] Independent watchmaker "Daizo Makihara"

Following in the footsteps of Masahiro Kikuno and Hajime Asaoka, Daizo Makihara was inducted into the Academy of Independent Watchmakers. His background is quite unusual.

Not a late bloomer, he began his career at the age of 27 as the third independent watchmaker

Daizo Makihara
Independent watchmaker. Born in 1979. After working as a chef at a hotel and a vocational school, he enrolled at Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College at the age of 27. After meeting Philippe Dufour, he decided to pursue watchmaking. He began making watches as a research student in 2011. In 2019, he released his first work, "Chrysanthemum Connected Crest Cherry Blossom." In 2020, he completed "Flowers, Birds, Wind and Moon," which includes an automaton. Since 2019, he has been an associate member of the AHC (Académie Horlogère Des Créateurs Indépendants = Association of Independent Watchmakers).

"I originally studied at a culinary school as a chef, specializing in Italian cuisine. But then I found out about watchmaking schools, and enrolled at Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College," he says nonchalantly, noting that he decided to change jobs at the age of 27. This seems a little late to begin a career as a watchmaker. "Before that, I only knew of watchmakers who repaired watches. But when I met Philippe Dufour, I learned that there were watchmakers who made watches." As he began making watches, Makihara began to turn his attention to traditional Japanese crafts. The first watch he completed was the "Chrysanthemum-linked Cherry Blossom" design, which uses Edo Kiriko glass on the entire dial.

"After making 'Chrysanthemum-Shaped Crest Sakura,' I was thinking of making an automaton. I already had the idea. It was a bit of a challenge, but perhaps because Baselworld was postponed, I was able to focus on making watches," he says with a cool face, but the idea of ​​making an automaton as his second work is quite unusual.

　The "Flowers, Birds, Wind and Moon," which he completed in 2020, is a watch that perfectly blends Japanese and Western styles. The Edo Kiriko dial features a pair of cherry blossoms and Japanese white-eyes, and the petals at the 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock positions open and close every 12 and 24 hours.

"I've received an order, but haven't delivered it yet. I want to change the size of the petals by a few tenths of a millimeter. I'm concerned about the opening action, and I don't want it to malfunction." This is only his second project. What kind of clocks does Makihara want to make in the future?

"My previous watches were 42mm in diameter. I've decided to downsize my next watch and make a simpler one that's under 40mm. I also want to increase the number of parts I can make myself. First, I'll consistently produce simple models, and then I'll add additional functions." But how does he see himself after such success?

"Honestly, I never thought it would be a success. But the Edo Kiriko dial was large, wasn't it? It was the first attempt of its kind in the world," he continued.

"I would like to have a certain degree of scale. I would like to tinker with the content myself, but I am a specialist, so I will ask for outside help. For now, I would say I am aiming to be somewhere between Asaoka-san and Kikuno-san," says Makihara Daizo, speaking with a calm and passionate tone. He has created an automaton with his second work. There is no doubt that he will walk the walk of his word.