The Minase 7 Windows watch is not, as the name might suggest, a horological tribute to a Microsoft operating system. These are Japanese watches by Minase featuring seven sapphire glass windows and a complex geometric case design embellished with handcrafted finishing that can put many Swiss brands to shame. Let's take a closer look at the new automatic model Minase 7 Windows, which combines a round rod (dial) in a rectangular case with characteristic Japanese elegance.
History
When someone brings up Japanese watchmaking, the conversation usually turns to Seiko, Grand Seiko, and perhaps even Citizen. However, not many will mention Minase, a microbrand launched by Kyowa Co., a manufacturer of precision instruments since 1963. With expertise in metalworking, Kyowa developed a precision step drill (useful for drilling crowns) and began producing watch cases of increasing complexity. One by one, Kyowa expanded its portfolio to include bracelet production and sophisticated polishing techniques. Finally, with all this experience, Kyowa decided it was ready to create its own watch brand, and in 2005, the Minase watch brand was born. Named after the workshop's location in the mountains of Yuzawa in Akita Prefecture, Minase produces fewer than 500 watches a year and has only recently begun to expand internationally.
The brand knows one thing for sure: Minase is about bold Japanese design, striking metalwork, and exquisite hand-finishing, not movements. The mechanics are entrusted to Swiss ETA-based movements. 'Habillage' (external parts) is the key word at Minase, marked by a design philosophy unlike anything we've seen from our usual acquaintances. Minase watches are characterized by steel architectural cases with sharp angles, radical slopes, protruding lugs, convex dials, and plenty of personality.
Transformers of the watch world, if you will, transformed into magnificently executed structures that can rival the best GS watches. The 7 Windows is not new to Minase; it is an evolution of the 5 Windows we covered in this Artistic Crafts version and the limited series dedicated to the 15th anniversary.
Time Capsules
Accustomed to exploded images of movements, the exploded view of the 7 Windows case provides insight into the modular nature of Minase's signature case design. Starting in reverse order, the first step involves placing the movement inside a steel lid that serves as the dial. After this, Minase's watchmakers install an indicator ring on the dial, which screws into the corresponding case ring from the back. The effect created by this design is that the round dial appears to float inside the rectangular case.
With a width of 38 mm, a length of 47 mm, and a thickness of 13 mm, the 7 Windows is a borderline dress watch, depending on how you feel about the case height. Undoubtedly, the sapphire glasses on the sides of the case at the 'noon' and '6 o'clock' positions reduce the amount of metal and give the watch an ethereal, lightweight feel. The crown with embossed polished claws grasping a black insert with the brand's drill bit logo is another example of the brand's mastery in working with steel.
The rectangular 316L stainless steel case has wide contours reminiscent of a pagoda and frames seven sapphire crystal windows. Although it is a rectangular case, the sinuous profile and suspended dial protected by a domed sapphire crystal create an almost liquid, organic feel. Strangely enough, for a watch with seven windows, the movement can only be seen from the back of the case.
According to Minase representatives, craftsmen spend over 20 hours crafting a single watch to achieve flawless mirror-polished and matte surfaces. Like Grand Seiko, Minase also uses a polishing technique known as Sallaz polishing. Often called black polishing, Sallaz (also known as 'Zaratsu' polishing at GS) creates a distortion-free mirror surface.
Wearing gloves to protect their hands from cuts, Minase's craftsmen polish the steel with a rotating tin plate coated with a thin layer of diamond dust. Sallaz polishing, performed by only a few skilled craftsmen, requires great dexterity to gauge the correct pressure and ensure the angles are not rounded. After each polishing, the metal is cleaned in a bath, and the process is repeated up to 45 times to achieve the spectacular mirror surfaces adorning Minase cases.
While the watch is offered with a leather strap, the most interesting option is the model with an integrated steel bracelet. Inspired by traditional Japanese wooden puzzles, each bracelet link is a separate node that can be disassembled and replaced. To ensure the necessary clearance between components, each bracelet segment is hand-cut and secured from the back with screws. As you can see in our photos, there is plenty of free space between the links, making the watch very flexible and comfortable on the wrist.
Additionally, each link has a matte finish with fine beveled and polished edges.
Bathed in light from all sides, the convex sunburst blue dial (also available in gray or black) is a chameleon and appears almost purple in certain lighting. A large rounded trapezoid on the dial, located from 3 to 6 o'clock, is reserved for the date function with seven digits. The cut-out area for the date has a beveled edge, and the date disc is positioned on a lower lever for added depth. Almost like claws, the faceted and polished steel indices stretch upwards, embracing the curved contours of the dial.
The index at the 12 o'clock position replicates Minase's drill bit logo. The steel hour and minute hands are polished, with a thin luminescent strip and truncated tips. To mimic the curve of the dial, the minute and second hands are slightly bent.
Custom Automatic Movement
A few years ago, Minase introduced the 7 Windows model with a manual winding movement and a power reserve indicator on the dial. The latest 7 Windows models are now equipped with the automatic caliber KT7002 based on the Swiss ETA 2892/A2. While it can only be seen through the sapphire crystal case back, the movement is decorated with manual perlage, diamond-polished bevels, and an openworked rotor featuring apertures reminiscent of the brand's drill bit logo. The movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour/4 Hz, with a power reserve of 50 hours.
Availability and Price
The Minase 7 Windows watches are already available on the brand's website, with delivery scheduled for mid-June 2021. Offered with a black, gray, or blue dial, models with a leather strap are priced at 4,300 Swiss Francs, while those with a steel bracelet are priced at 5,400 Swiss Francs. If you want to purchase one of these models, hurry, as stocks are depleting quickly.
For more information and to order a model, please visit www.minasewatches.ch.
SPECIFICATIONS – MINASE 7 WINDOWS
Case: 38 mm width x 47 mm height x 13 mm thickness – stainless steel case, matte and mirror polish – 7 sapphire crystals – 50 m water resistance
Dial: blue, gray, or black – faceted and polished steel indices – steel hour and minute hands with luminescent stripe – minute and second hands bent at the tip to follow the contours of the convex dial – large date aperture
Movement: caliber KT7002 based on ETA 2892/A2 with proprietary finishing – automatic – 21 jewels – 28,800 vibrations/hour – 50-hour power reserve – perlage, blued screws, diamond-polished bevels, custom Minase rotor – hours, minutes, seconds, and date at 4 o'clock
Strap/Bracelet: offered on a leather strap or integrated steel bracelet
Availability: available for order on the Minase website – delivery mid-June 2021
Price: CHF 4300 leather strap, CHF 5400 steel bracelet