The last few years have been good for enthusiasts of classically designed, complicated watches. Historically the purview of the exorbitantly wealthy, the complicated dress watch has become increasingly democratized in recent years, thanks in no small part to brands like Kurono Tokyo. That impactful role was rewarded with ardent fervor with new releases selling out near-instantaneously. Recently, secondhand availability and the introduction of various anti-flipping techniques have made getting your hand on one of Hajime Asaoka’s affordable creations far easier. But that sense of ease may well renege with the brand’s latest offering, the Kurono Special Projects Réserve de Marche ‘Sensu N.O.S.’
The signature feature of the new Réserve de Marche (and the complication from which it borrows its name) is the power reserve indicator found between the nine and ten o’clock positions, a first for Kurono Tokyo. This function is made possible thanks to the new old stock Cal. 9134 movements from Citizen. True to form for Kurono Tokyo, that movement has been reworked here; not only to meet Kurono Tokyo’s internal timekeeping standards, but also to remove the movement’s date function, though the 24-hour secondary hour display at six o’clock remains.
What results is a classically beautiful, and undeniably well-executed take on a classic complication. Of course, given the inherent limitations created by the use of NOS movements, the Sensu N.O.S. will be “very limited,” with the Cal. 9134PWT (the name Kurono has applied to the reworked calibers) slated for permanent discontinuation following the initial batch of watches.
But as this is Kurono Tokyo, the story doesn’t end with the movement. For as much as the movement found in the Sensu N.O.S. is the real story, it’s impossible to look at any watch from Kurono Tokyo and ignore the dial. Here, the brand has opted for a remarkable guilloché dial sporting a blend of patterns and details, all of which are sure to amaze in person. As with most complicated watches from Kurono, the dial here offers a tremendous amount of depth and a shocking level of detail for the price. A fan-shaped power display indicator, railway minute track, and wide expanses of Clous de Paris are only the tip of the iceberg and will have to be seen to be truly appreciated.
The Kurono Special Projects Réserve de Marche is available in two configurations, one in blue and the other in cream. As an added layer of distinction between the two models, there are several alterations made between the two models. Notably, where the blue version pairs Kanji hour markers with a Kanji wordmark at three o’clock, the cream dial option opts for Arabic numerals and a script wordmark at the more familiar three o’clock position.
The Kurono Special Projects Réserve de March ‘Sensu N.O.S.’ comes in a simple 38mm steel case and will be available to order at 10 pm JST on October 10th (9 am EDT). Orders will be limited to one piece of either color and will be available in a non-specified limited quantity for $2,200.
