Purity in Practice: Hatsushizuku and its Discipline

Every new project must challenge the creator. Following the Kaminari, I felt like trying out the ultimate opposite: purity, silence, and minimalism.

I am glad to share the status and the personal thoughts that come into my current work, the Hatsushizuku. This timepiece is an exercise in restraint, demanding the utmost discipline and reverence for materiality.

The Canvas: A Dialogue with Urushi

The defining feature of the Hatsushizuku will be its dial. I chose to forgo industrial processes entirely to work with Urushi—the natural Japanese lacquer—applied by my own hand.

Urushi is an uncompromising medium. It demands absolute patience, control of temperature and humidity, and an absolute lack of dust, making it a true test of dedication to the process and the required interaction with nature. I am currently honing my Urushi skills, experimenting with three color tones for the final dial: the deep, saturated Raw black; a meditative Blue; and a commanding Red.

Its Form: A Classic Silhouette

I want the watch to carry classic proportions. So the 34mm case, which I personally designed on CAD, is a nod to classical dress watch elegance. It will be refined, discreet, and will serve as the perfect minimalist frame for the lacquer canvas.

The Engine: Light and Slim

Given the small size of the watch, the Hatsushizuku requires a caliber that will be small and ultra-thin. I chose the reliable architecture of the Peseux 7001 as the foundation. The proportions of this movement will test my capabilities in modifying and finishing, as its diameter size is much smaller than that of the Kaminari's Unitas 6498 base.

The Hatsushizuku is currently a focused work-in-progress. It is a lesson in patience and design restraint, and I look forward to sharing further updates as my work progresses.