Interview with Kiyoshi Ishibashi, founder of Wing, which operates four stores in the Hokuriku region, about the origin clock and the ending clock

What is the first watch that inspired these watch sages, and the last one they aspire to own—the so-called "final watch"? This series interviews key figures in the watch industry, offering a glimpse into their watch-related lives and philosophies through their answers. This time, we spoke with Kiyoshi Ishibashi, Chairman and CEO of Wing, a watch specialty store with three stores in Ishikawa Prefecture and one in Toyama Prefecture. The watch that Ishibashi cited as his starting point was a Ulysse Nardin high-beat watch. The "final watch" he cited was Montblanc's Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100. Let's take a closer look at what kind of person Ishibashi is based on these words.

The watch experts we interviewed

Mr. Kiyoshi Ishibashi
Wing Revolution Co., Ltd. / Chairman and CEO
Originally from Yokohama City, he graduated from a vocational school and joined his father's construction company. He then worked for a car parts wholesaler in Osaka, where he was involved in new business development in the Hokuriku region. Thanks to connections made at that time, he decided to go independent and in 1984 founded a car parts specialty store in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, which would become the current Wing. He currently operates Wing watch specialty stores in Kanazawa, Korinbo, and Toyama, as well as the first store in Komatsu City. He has been in his current position since 2020.

The original watch was a Ulysse Nardin high-beat watch inherited from his father.

Q. Tell us about the first watch you ever owned.

A. It's a Ulysse Nardin watch I received from my father when I was 16 years old. It has a blue dial and a highly accurate 10-beat timepiece. He gave it to me without saying a word, saying, "It's a gift for entering high school, so take good care of it." At the time, I wasn't interested in watches, so I put it away in a Hato Sable tin box and forgot about it for a while.

　I rediscovered it when I was about 30, two years after my father passed away. It was around the time I started selling watches at Wing, and I remembered the watch and had it overhauled. It was then that I finally realized its value.

　My father was an army officer during the war. He was sent to Europe and America after World War I, so it's likely he bought the watch at that time. Looking at this watch brings up many emotions. Mechanical watches are often described as "100-year watches." This watch taught me firsthand what that means.

The "Climbing Clock" is the Montblanc "Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100"

Q. Tell us about the last watch you would like to own in your life, the so-called "end watch."

A. I've been wanting a Montblanc Minerva homage model for a long time. Wing also purchased two of the Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Origins Limited Edition 100, released in 2021 and limited to 100 pieces. It's a reproduction of a 1930s military monopusher chronograph equipped with the in-house caliber 19-09CH. I was hoping to buy it if it was still available, but it's already sold out. If you want something, your customers want it too, right?

　I think the classic chronographs used in Minerva chronographs are beautiful. The swan neck, weight of the pushers, and the traditional handmade quality of the movement set them apart from the industrially made watches of today. I hope to come across another good one someday.

Anecdotes from the interview

　Kiyoshi Ishibashi built Wing into one of the leading watch shops in the Hokuriku region in one generation, but his youth before he opened the shop seems to have been turbulent. His father's construction company, which he had planned to take over, and the Osaka car parts wholesaler that he thought would be a stable business, both went bankrupt one after the other. However, with the support of people who saw Ishibashi's talent, a path that continues to this day was paved. The car parts shop founded by Ishibashi saw the opportunity and began selling Breitling early on, which proved successful, and it gradually shifted to becoming a watch shop. To this day, it has established itself as a beloved watch shop among pilots at the Komatsu Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Wing has grown significantly alongside Ishibashi, who has always looked forward even in difficult times, cherished connections with others, and lived a resilient life.

●Wing official website https://www.wing-rev.co.jp/